Day after day for about 300 days a year, senior Samuel Junqua practices his soccer skills, perfecting every pass, shot and lob. He is considered a virtuoso in the local soccer world, playing for the De Anza Force Academy club team, which is ranked as one of the best in the nation.

Playing at this level, however, comes with a cost — Junqua does not have the time to play high school soccer.

He is one of several top soccer players have left the school team to commit fully to club teams.

“High school soccer represents something that is fun, but the club I play with is a higher level,” Junqua said. “For me it’s a better choice because I want to play in college.”

Junqua credits club soccer for improving his skills. According to Junqua, high school soccer only plays for few months compared to his club, which plays for 300 days of the year.

“It’s been a huge help for me, and practicing every day without really having an offseason has really helped me in my competitions a lot better,” Junqua said.

For most athletes, their club leagues advise them to choose between the club and school teams. He said playing for the high school team would make him ineligible to play for the winter and spring portion of his club season because his coach does not allow him to leave the club mid-season.

Junior Lauren Plesse, who played for the school’s varsity girls soccer team in her freshman and sophomore year, decided not to play school soccer this year due to an added winter league for her club, Force, which plays in the Elite Club National League.

“The league I play for does not have any restrictions regarding playing high school soccer, but coaches in my club do not recommend it,” Plesse said. “They say this because you are taking at least three months off from your club team, so when you go back, sometimes it takes a while to get into the style of play that you used to play.”

Plesse thinks playing on a nationally ranked  club team offers her a better chance to play at the next level.

“College coaches do not really come to high school events,” Plesse said. “In club, you are surrounded by people that want to pursue soccer at a collegiate level, so everyone is on the same page.”