As planes take off and club teams scatter across the country for weekend tournaments, senior Sophie Oshige laces up her skates in a cold rink far away from Palo Alto. While her peers catch up on sleep or study for a test, Oshige is stepping into the rink for another high-stakes hockey game in Canada, one of many she attends throughout the year.

Oshige, who has played hockey for eight years, is one of many student-athletes who play a club sport. She said she spends around 22 hours a week practicing.

“I’m really passionate about the sport,” Oshige said. “Ever since I started playing, I fell in love with the game. It has become an outlet for me to get rid of any stress or negative emotions I feel throughout my day-to day-life.”

At the same time, Oshige said her intense travel and practice schedules often clash with her fast-paced academics.

“It definitely makes it hard for me to manage, because a lot of times I miss school for traveling and games,” Oshige said. “I get behind in a lot of school work, which really puts stress on me and sometimes affects my academic performance.”

Freshman Mia Wong, who has played soccer for nine years and is on a club team in Palo Alto and a team who plays in Europe, struggles with the same balance between academics and her club sport.

“Sometimes it’s hard to focus on school, but I try to prioritize my schoolwork over soccer,” Wong said. “If there’s any conflict, I would choose school over my sport, and it has worked for me so far.”

Oshige said she has had to find different ways to stay on top of her schoolwork.

“Planners really help me with my time management, because it is hard to stay on top of the commitment (of) playing hockey and doing school,” Oshige said. “I would say scheduling things ahead of time really helps.”

For Oshige,  the community around her is an important part of her sport.

“Aside from being a really fun game and something I’ve committed to, I really enjoyed the social aspect of playing ice hockey, and I have made some friends that I wouldn’t picture my life without,” Oshige said.

Senior Shalin Dwivedi said he has had a similar experience to Oshige.

“I have friends that I wouldn’t have made otherwise,” Dwivedi said. “I hang out with them outside of school, and honestly, most of my friends are made through lacrosse.”

But Wong said pressure often builds up around tournaments, causing added stress.

“I can build up some stress leading up to important events or tournaments or games, but if you have a good coach, I think you’re OK,” Wong said.

In the end, Dwivedi said he had some advice for students considering playing club sports.

“I play for a club because it’s a good way to develop skills, and it’s really fun to play with my friends,” Dwivedi said. “I would recommend it to anyone who wants to level up their playing and be part of a team.”