Sports

Club sports offer athletes alternatives

Kenna Hixson, Editor in Chief of News • February 25, 2026

Trey Lovings, 11th during a powerlifting meet. (photo: Rafael Hiciano)

Competing just outside of the spotlight, high school club sports are often an overlooked part of school athletics. The competition is just as hard. The sports are just as serious. Receiving limited recognition and funding makes it harder for these sports to become NSAA sanctioned. In the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district, seven club sports are shared between the two high schools, PLSHS Titans and PLHS Monarchs.

To become an NSAA sanctioned sport, there is a long process that requires multiple schools’ approval and willingness to sponsor a team, a legislative process through a Representative Assembly, and a lengthy period of review and approval. This is why many sports may seem popular enough to gain serious traction, yet remain a club.

For students looking to get involved in a high school activity, club sports offer something different for a variety of talents, wants, needs, and experience levels – all having one thing in common: community. These sports, though underrepresented and often underfunded, exist between the gaps of more popular sports.

Club sports offer athletes alternative

Alyssa Friederich, 9th, performs during halftime at a football game. (photo: Bruce Fustos)

Give baton tricks a twirl

Performing at football and basketball halftime shows, P-Town Twirlers are the Titan-Monarch baton team.

Freshman Alyssa Friederich has been doing baton since she was 4, requiring dedication and time for the sport.

”If you take lessons for long enough at a studio, you can have the chance to travel out of the state,” Friederich said.

“I have been to both Italy and Ireland for baton twirling with my team and ended up winning gold and silver at worlds, but that isn’t something we can get from the school club.”

To someone who has never done the sport, “It would be hard to learn the tricks the first year,” Friederich said.

“Most of the tricks we do take a little longer than one session to learn, so to catch up there will have to be a lot of practicing,”

Others who may have experience in baton can expect to get the practice of performing in front of bigger crowds and learning new skills, while gaining memories.

“It is an amazing sport, but it does take a lot of work and dedication,” Friederich said.

“My most memorable experience has to be the Monarchs vs. Titans football game at the beginning of this year.”

P-TOWN TWIRLERS

SEASON: Year-round

HOW TO JOIN: Join Sues Stepper-ettes baton and dance studio or email coach Jen Palomaki

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A baton

COSTS: Fluctuating costs depending on costumes
Porter Hylok, 11th (photo: Barnes Photography)

A field sport to stick with

Junior Porter Hylok has been playing Lacrosse for six years. Playing against mostly Omaha teams, home games are typically played at Papillion Landing.

“Lacrosse is like a mix of hockey, soccer, and football,” Hylok said. “I fell in love with the sport after my first time playing.”

“We won a tournament over the fall and we were so excited because we didn’t think we would win,” Hylok said, describing the peak of his season.

“It is a very challenging sport, and [it’s] inconvenient [that] some of the fields are in bad shape.”

With an open mind and effort, newcomers can fit right in.

“We have a great coaching staff,” Hylok said. “Just come out and try.”

LACROSSE

SEASON: Spring

HOW TO JOIN: Contact Coach Rob Mazanec or email [email protected]

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Lacrosse stick, helmet, chest pads, elbow pads, and gloves,

COSTS: $75 season fee, $100 for stick, $100 for helmet
Zaden Elkins, 11th (photo: Noah Alford) (Noah Alford)

Hard-hitting sport on ice

Junior Zaden Elkins has been playing hockey for eight years, describing it as “fast paced with lots of hitting.”

Newcomers can experience the basics of the game, including, “skating, passing, shooting, and the rules of the game,” Elkins said.

The team faces different club teams from across Omaha.

Steady practice times and access to a trainer are just some of the difficulties of hockey being a club sport.

Having a close-knit team, the fun comes easy.

“It’s a really fun sport to get into once you get the hang of it. It’s very fast paced and physical,” Elkins said.

HOCKEY

SEASON: Winter

HOW TO JOIN: Omaha Hockey Club website; www.omahahockey.net

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Skates, shin guards, breezers, elbow pads, shoulder pads, helmet, and a jersey

COSTS: Complete set of equipment is around $500, and season fee of around $450
Liam Aune, 11th (photo: PLVTT)

Aim high for smashing success

Trap shooting involves firing a shotgun at an orange disc flying 45 mph. During the spring season, competitions around the Omaha area usually last about 12 hours, typically starting at 7 a.m.

Junior Liam Aune has been trap shooting for four years.

“Newcomers should expect to have fun with a caring community who works hard to help you succeed,” Aune said.

No matter the experience level, trap always has many opportunities to offer.

“Our club offers a competitive spring season where we shoot seven different tournaments, and then we go to state. There are around 2,000 shooters in Nebraska,” Aune said.

“A lot of times our athletes do not get credited for all the hard work they put into trap,” Aune said. “My most memorable experience was in May of 2025, [when] one of my closest friends was graduating and at state the entire team came to watch him shoot his last round ever.”

TRAP SHOOTING

SEASON: Spring

HOW TO JOIN: Email Coach Jason Aune [email protected]

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Ammunition, eye and ear protection, a shotgun; school has loaners

COSTS: $25 per competition, base fee of $100
Lucena Hanna, 12th, bikes at Branched Oak. (courtesy photo: Elizabeth Hanna)

Get up to speed on bike trails

Although Nebraska doesn’t have much for mountains, there are plenty of challenging trails to bike.

Senior Lucena Hanna has been on the mountain biking team for two years.

“Mountain biking is SUPER friendly to new riders,” Hanna said. “There are a total of three groups: spicy (level hard), medium hot (medium level group), and the avocados (the easy group for younger kids or new riders) in practice.”

For anyone looking to learn, “we run through how to get off your bike after breaking, how to go over logs, going up or down hill, and such,” Hanna said.

“After this you’ll go on the trail at your own pace so that coaches can see where you stand.”

Competition consists of different teams from Iowa and Nebraska. There is traveling involved every other week of the fall season to places such as Sioux City, Iowa, and Maskenthine Reservoir in Stanton County, Nebraska. Competition levels vary.

“There are four levels at a meet,” Hanna said. “JV3 (mainly for new people), JV2 (new people who are already athletic), JV1 (those with experience), and Varsity (those with a lot of experience and skill).”

One difficulty of the club is recognition. “I mean you’ll win first place and no one will know. We don’t even have school photos taken,” Hanna said.

Sharing a memorable experience from when she was still a fairly new rider, Hanna recalled: “I was going down too quickly on a hill, and when a turn came, I flew off my bike. By some miracle, I landed on my feet, my bike still on the trail.”

Hanna has come far since then. “It’s never too late to join,” she said.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

SEASON: Fall

HOW TO JOIN: Email [email protected]

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A bike and helmet

COSTS: $300 season fee, $800 for bike
Trey Lovings, 11th during a powerlifting meet. (photo: Rafael Hiciano)

Raise bar on strength

Powerlifting is a sport where athletes compete to see how much weight they can lift. Papio South powerlifters compete against schools around Omaha. Like wrestling, athletes are put in weight categories to compete.

Competitions take place in school gyms consisting of squat, bench and deadlift.

Junior Trey Lovings has been powerlifting for three years.

“Competitions are an all-day event starting at 7:30 in the morning and finishing at 5 in the afternoon. You spend long periods of time warming up and watching others lift,” Lovings said.

“Everyone is very encouraging of the other lifters. Competition is usually just the surrounding high schools (i.e. Creighton Prep, Omaha Central, Gretna, etc.).”

At a club level, competition remains high.

“Nebraska powerlifting has a very competitive state championship every year. Being able to use your talents as an experienced lifter in a competitive format can be rewarding,” Lovings said.

Senior Greysen Harris joined the girls Powerlifting team this season.

“You’ll gain a community. Everyone is super nice, and we all cheer each other on even if we’re competing against each other,” Harris said.“There’s no need to wait until you think you’re strong enough to join. I seriously regret not joining sooner. You’ll only start getting better once you start trying.”

POWERLIFTING

SEASON: Winter

HOW TO JOIN: Talk to Titan Coach Nate Wesson or Coach Kurt Pohlmann

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Comfortable shoes, optional additional gear can be borrowed through school including belts and wrist wraps

COSTS: $20-30 fee each meet not at Papio South
Timmy Melrose, 12th (courtesy photo: Alijah Chambers)

Part football, part soccer, all champion

Papillion-area rugby program won a championship last year. The team has one player from Gretna, and one from Platteview.

Titan Timmy Melrose, a senior who has been on the team for two years, explained the sport this way:

“Rugby is like football but you can’t pass the ball forwards, that’s a penalty. The clock almost never stops, much like soccer. If you get tackled, you hand the ball to a teammate or the other team can take it and play.”

Competitions are typically held at Storz Rugby Complex off of North 16th street in Omaha on Saturday mornings with tournament-style play. Also traveling to Lincoln and Missouri, competition is high.

“Show up to practice and we will get you registered,” Melrose said. “It’s a simple game, so you can learn quickly.”

As a club, the team struggles for consistency across its spring season.

“The competition isn’t as good because it isn’t a sanctioned sport, so less people play it,” Melrose said. “We don’t have a consistent practice schedule or a place to practice. We get zero publicity and less people care about what we do.”

Still, for those who play, the payoffs are worth it. “You gain a community of people who love the sport as much as you,” Melrose said.

Senior Justin Genier has been involved in Rugby since second grade.

“It’s a fun sport, you get to tackle without pads, run a lot, and have great bonding with the team,” Genier said.

One of the most memorable experience shared among players was winning a state championship last year.

RUGBY

SEASON: Spring

HOW TO JOIN: Email [email protected]

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Mouthgaurd, cleats, rugby shorts

COSTS: $95 registration, $40 jersey

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About the Contributor

Kenna Hixson, Editor in Chief of News

Hey, it’s Kenna :)