Aspen High School has always been known for the intense enthusiasm that its students have for sports. However, some students play for the school while others are apart of club teams.

In reality, there is not a huge difference between playing for a club or the school. They are both teams that have been put together in order to challenge the players and give them a chance to choose what they like best. The only real difference is that students can receive a varsity letter playing for the school, while club sports are more community based and anyone can join. Club sports are perfect for athletes that want to push themselves and not have to worry about receiving a varsity letter. School sports can be more difficult to balance with academics, and some find that doing a club sport is easier.

“I think people sometimes choose club or school if they suit their needs better. Some are more serious than others and some has different groups of people that you might enjoy more than others,” explained James Kelly, a sophomore at AHS who participates in both club and school sports.

Currently at AHS not very many clubs are offered. As of now only there is only the climbing team, the swim and the ski team all of which are part of the school but don’t give you a varsity letter. Olivia Plummer, a sophomore at AHS, explained why she thinks that having a wider of variety of clubs could be good for the school.

“I think that it would be great to have more club sports because then you can play the sport for longer than a year and you will be able to build better relationships with your teammates,” Plummer said.

Having more clubs could provide a new opportunity for kids who want to try and step out of their comfort zone. The climbing team already created an environment for students to explore a new sport while also connecting with friends. Clubs also provide a more relaxed environment for hard working academic students who don’t have the time to be fully devoted to a school sport.

“School sports are bit more demanding and you have to know how to study a bit more, but for club I think it’s easier to handle with school and social life,” Laney Martens, a junior at AHS explained.