Lured by the Gators

Crystal Lake South's Charlie Oliver (right) chose to play for the Gators' soccer team this fall and not his club team. The standout forward aims to help South improve from last year's 19-4-2 record. (Northwest Herald file photo)

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CRYSTAL LAKE – The decision was supposed to be black or white, but Charlie Oliver saw shades of gray.

The Crystal Lake South junior soccer standout was asked before the start of last season to either play club or high school soccer. Playing both, a former club coach told Oliver, could be a detriment.

While club undoubtedly offers an elite level of soccer that Oliver doesn’t see playing the high school circuit, four years defined by camaraderie, school spirit and community pride make sacrificing three months of club soccer each year worthwhile for him.

Oliver knew there would be consequences for his decision, but he opted to return to his forward position with South last fall, a move that did not exactly ingratiate the speedy and crafty scorer with his Chicago Magic Academy coaches.

But that wasn’t the point.

In an era of club trumping high school sports, Oliver realized sometimes it doesn’t have to be that way.

“I had to work really hard when I got back (to club) after last season, and I had to try to impress my coaches,” Oliver said, “but I had a lot of fun last year. We did well, better than I expected, and I didn’t regret it at all.”

Oliver’s talent was obvious when he was a freshman.

South coach Brian Allen put him on his varsity roster immediately and Oliver started contributing almost as quickly.

Most freshmen come in timid, but Oliver never was shy about asserting himself with players two and three years his senior, watching them with observant eyes, Allen said.

Oliver’s confidence and talent were clear all along, but once Oliver made that definitive commitment to South’s program, his personality was clear to Allen, too.

“It says a lot about his character that he would make that decision when a lot of kids don’t,” Allen said. “It just shows that he enjoys his team and that camaraderie you get playing with your peers in your community.”

Oliver intimated his predicament to Allen last summer. The coach left the decision completely in Oliver’s hands, never pushing him one way or another, which things easier.

Allen knew that was the approach he would have to take. He was in a similar situation in high school, but like Oliver opted to play for his club and varsity teams.

“I just told him that obviously I’d love to have him out there, but he had to make the decision that was best for him,” Allen said.

Committing to play club soccer alone typically means a marriage to the sport. Oliver used to play baseball too, but his interest slowly waned.

Playing club and varsity makes soccer more enjoyable, too, and Allen can see that. The demands of high school soccer can pale in comparison to the demands of a club team.

“When he’s just playing soccer, he’s relaxed. You can tell,” Allen said. “He just goes out and plays because it’s fun.”

High school soccer tends to be more laid back, in part because the competition isn’t as high. Oliver recently switched club teams from the Magic to the Chicago Fire Academy, which is directly affiliated with the Bridgeview-based MLS team.

His current coaches, he said, don’t mind if players opt to play for their high school teams, and Oliver’s return means South should have a shot at improving on last year’s 19-4-2 record and its run to the IHSA Class 3A sectional semifinals.

Oliver finished the varsity season last year with 20 goals and nine assists and was named to the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches’ Association’s All-Sectional team.

“You’re missing out on a lot of fun (if you skip varsity soccer),” Oliver said. “It’s a great experience to show your school how you can play and other schools what you’re capable of.”