Friday nights & Sunday showcases

High School vs Club

They can coexist — Michigan's calendar is even built for it. But one MHSAA rule and one MLS NEXT waiver decide how, and families who don't know them get burned in October.

One year, two seasons

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

High school season

Club league play

Tryout window

Boys: MHSAA season runs Aug–Oct (first practice mid-August, districts in October). Club leagues schedule spring-heavy calendars around it. Statewide club tryouts hit in mid-June.

The rule every family must know

MHSAA Limited Team Membership

During the high school season, a player cannot also compete for a club team in the same sport. Break it and the school must report it — the player sits a minimum of the next three contest dates; a second violation usually ends the season.

One narrow exception exists — for girls only: up to two college-ID camps (held at and run by a college) during the spring season. Boys get no equivalent.

The MLS NEXT waiver

MLS NEXT runs ~10 months and expects year-round commitment. A boy who wants to play for his school needs a formal waiver signed by his principal, his club director, and a parent — due in early September. Many MLS NEXT boys skip high school soccer entirely; clubs vary in how welcoming they are about the waiver.

ECNL and Girls Academy take the opposite stance: both explicitly allow high school play and build their calendars around it.

So… should your player do both?

Most girls

Play both. The split calendar was designed for it — club pauses during the spring MHSAA season, and college recruiters know exactly where to find them either way.

Most boys

Outside MLS NEXT, both works: fall for the school, spring-heavy club calendars after. Inside MLS NEXT, the waiver decision is real — community and leadership vs. a perceived higher development ceiling.

The recruiting truth

College coaches recruit at club showcases, not Friday night games. But high school soccer offers leadership reps, all-state visibility, and joy — which keeps players in the sport long enough to be recruited at all.