With summer right around the corner, it’s a great time to check in with some of Judge’s best athletes about their summer club sports. Judge has always done a great job of recognizing its students’ athletic achievements within high school sports. However, plenty of students are also very successful club sport athletes. With some sports, such as soccer and lacrosse, club sports are just as competitive if not more so than high school sports. They keep an athlete at peak performance for their sport even in the offseason, and in soccer and lacrosse club is the main avenue for college recruitment. With that in mind, I wanted to recognize two Judge varsity athletes who are currently gearing up for their summer club seasons: Freddy Gowski and Evelyn Link, both Juniors.
I interviewed Link on her experience in club soccer, how she feels playing for Judge has elevated her game in club, and what she’s most excited for in club this summer. She said she first got her start in soccer when she was four, and played for her first club team, USA Metro, when she was eight. She currently plays for CFC and Judge.
“Playing in high school, you play against a lot of different girls with different skill levels, different physicality, so I feel like it makes you a lot more well-rounded as a player”, Link said. She also emphasized how being more well-rounded has made her play “more dominant in club”.
Link also discussed how tight-knit a club team can be. When asked what her proudest or most memorable moments from club soccer have been, she said she remembers multiple hard fought wins in close games that really brought the team together. Building camaraderie and community with people who you normally wouldn’t interact with, whether they’re from another high school or another state altogether, is what makes club sports truly special.
As for this summer, Link said that she “just finished State Cup, and the team’s going to be able to go to Disney World in Orlando”, which she’s excited for. She’s also looking forward to morning practices and her team’s many tournaments that are on the schedule.
Club lacrosse is another major summer sport, with a large group of the Sophomore and Junior boys on the Judge team all getting ready for their club seasons. I interviewed one of these boys, Freddy Gowski, on his upcoming season.
Freddy is a midfielder and team captain for Judge and plays
for multiple club teams, including Utah Summit and West Coast Starz. He emphasized how great club lacrosse is for building friend
ships, stating that many of his closest friends have come from it. Club also gives a player the chance to meet like-minded people from all over the country. West Coast Starz, one of Gowski’s teams, is a national program with athletes from all over the West, and this has allowed him to meet people he otherwise wouldn’t have.
One of Gowski’s proudest accomplishments from club lacrosse was winning the Under Armour All-America Tournament last summer. This is one of the nation’s biggest events, with regional teams of the best players from all over the country coming to compete. Gowski is excited to continue this success into this summer.
Overall, while the teambuilding and leadership that high school sports instill should not be understated, club sports can be just as impactful for athletes. Link’s and Gowski’s stories within club sports make that obvious.
