While high school volleyball may happen in the summer, soccer in the winter, and baseball in the spring, the season doesn’t end there for many Bearcat athletes. When Bearcats aren’t playing for their high school, they have commitments to club teams that keep them athletically sound across the year. Club sports are organizations that exist separate from high school teams and are composed of players from multiple schools in the area. They have seasons separate from the ones in high school, giving high school athletes a way to continue competing even when their season is long over, practicing and building new skills to improve their performance. Paso Robles and surrounding cities are a host to a variety of these clubs, which include sports such as soccer, baseball, volleyball, and more.
VOLLEYBALL
On the Central Coast, both 805 Elite and Flight Academy are popular with PRHS Volleyball. Flight Academy, in particular, is one of the most impressive clubs on the Central Coast, with their website showcasing the alumni of 30+ players now playing for college teams. They bring in players across the Central Coast and host six current Paso varsity players across the men’s and women’s teams.
“My coaches Chip and Manny really showed me what good coaches are. They pushed me to become the player I am today, but only in the most positive way, and showed me what it means to be confident in my ability even through mistakes, and how to move forward as a player,” said Junior Cali Scholl, who currently plays for Flight Academy.
The club goes to tournaments all across the West Coast, having gone to tournaments in Arizona and Las Vegas last year, and multiple within California. This year, it’s in the club’s plans to travel to Vegas again, Colorado, Utah, and a few more in state.
“I think that the club has just taught me a really technical and higher level of volleyball knowledge which helps with my game during high school season,” Scholl said.
As a team captain this year, it’s clear to see that her skills from Flight have transferred into her high school play.
BASEBALL
If you ask the average Paso Robles varsity baseball player where they played during club season, chances are at some point they played for BPA. Self-described as a “premier youth baseball development academy,” the organization has lived up to the label, being ranked #1 in the Western region by Perfect Game USA, and supplying PRHS’s current baseball team with enough quality for them to be CIF Division 2 this past season.
Junior Casey Prieto is a longtime competitor for BPA, having played for them for the last four years. When asked about what made BPA so strong of a developer for players, Prieto said,
“In terms of development, my strength numbers, skillset, and ability to perceive the game has changed the trajectory of my career.”
BPA creates opportunities everywhere for their players. The prospect of college baseball and how they make it easier to be seen is a large part of why the club is ranked so highly.
“We get exposure to college coaches and facilities, and we travel all over the country: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee,” says Prieto.
The club has had 30 plus commits in just the last three years, with two being committed to current national champions LSU, and multiple alumni committing to SEC powerhouses such as Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Ole Miss.
SOCCER
In the soccer scene, no one club reigns supreme within Paso Robles. Across multiple ages and levels, both Central Coast Dynasty and Central Coast Surf have been successful. Dynasty has won multiple tournaments over the past year, and across the boys 2007 and 2009 teams, they have nine current and former players on the men’s varsity team. Surf won the Ventura Cup over the summer, and came close to winning their league as well, with their Paso based team comprised of 10 current PRHS varsity soccer players.
“Surf helped my success in high school because I feel without [Surf], I wouldn’t be good enough for varsity,” said junior Hunter Maciel, a striker for the Surf 2009 Boys team.
Maciel scored five goals across the summer season campaign, and added four assists: a level of performance he attributes to his coaching within the Surf program.
“They pushed me to my limit and made me feel the need to get better,” Maciel said.
He also has just begun his second varsity season as a Bearcat, coming off of a year where he made multiple appearances as a starter and scored twice, despite being an underclassmen his sophomore year in the ‘24-’25 season.
Dynasty has found similar success within their senior teams, with their 2007 Boys team having won both of their last two tournaments, and their final league season as a team.
“My coaches have helped on and off the field. They’ve helped me have a hard work ethic in school and in the sport I love,” says Sophomore Issack Alvarado Meraz.
Dynasty frequents some of the larger tournaments in California, including Man City Cup, an elite youth soccer tournament, back in September. Alvarado also spoke about the exposure that Dynasty has brought him.
“Playing with Dynasty allowed me to get offered to go play for teams out of state, and offered a contract in Mexico.”
Alvarado has played with both the 2007 and 2009 teams, and will now play varsity soccer this year.
