Every year, families of numerous athletes invest thousands of dollars for their students to participate in competitive sports. Whether it be dance, volleyball, or basketball, club sports require both time and financial sacrifices. Like other sports, volleyball tournament schedules are sent out at the beginning of the season and once accepting the spot on the team, they are committing to being at every tournament. A majority of the tournaments require traveling and some are even 3-4 days long. That being said, athletes will have to miss school to travel or compete at some point in the season. These should be excusable absences.  Some may argue that sports are irrelevant to the education of the student, but these tournaments play a huge role in the recruitment process to playing collegiately. Tournaments are the best way for athletes to showcase their abilities and grab the attention from colleges. As a student athlete, the only way I could get exposure is through club sports. It is very difficult for colleges to make it to high school games because it overlaps their college season. At my last tournament, over 200 colleges were in attendance scouting out players. On top of that, it costs thousands of dollars to play on the team and attending tournaments is non negotiable. Student athletes should not have to surrender the sport they love because it causes too many absences. Not all students go to college for academic reasons. If high school sports are excused, so should club and competitive events. The tournament schedules are predetermined and the locations are usually not the most convenient, therefore, it is inevitable that the athletes will have to leave early for tournaments or even play on school days.  If high schools are truly concerned about the future of their students, they’ll assist in the advancement of opportunities for them academically and athletically.