The new year will bring a welcome new routine for South Bay soccer players and their families.

That applies to the Flores family.

Joshua Flores, 16, is slated to transition from playing in an elite club to the team at Hilltop High School in Chula Vista. The move is a big change for his family, as well, who will take a break from the demands of club soccer.

Joshua, a junior at Hilltop in Chula Vista, has developed his skills playing club soccer. Being part of the school team will bring another dimension to his game.

Club soccer is regarded as a better type of soccer. Teams most of the time recruit the best players available and put them on the field.

High school soccer is viewed as a lower-class league. But to players, it's sometimes an outlet.

Flores, a forward on the Albion FC Boys Under-16 team, has played club soccer since 2005. He began his career with Aztecs FC out of South San Diego, played for Albion Boys at a lower level and for the Bonita Rebels before one of its teams joined Chula Vista Rangers.

"I really like that I can be seen playing for Albion," Joshua said. "There is always someone who can have an eye on you that can maybe help you get a scholarship or go with a pro (team)."

Joshua spent Thanksgiving weekend with his club team competing in the Neusport Football Club Turkey Shoot tournament in Las Vegas, a high-profile event featuring some of the nation's top clubs.

A handful of teams from San Diego competed in the tournament, where Albion played in the College Showcase portion.

Joshua and his teammates were able to display their talents in front of many coaches from some of the top college soccer programs across the country.

Albion returned to San Diego with a 0-2-2 record. It wasn't the result the team was looking for but its players got exposure at the event.

That included Joshua.

Scouts from universities such as Santa Clara, Stanford, Yale and several schools from the University of California were on hand. He has begun to receive letters of interest from some of the universities that visited the tournament.

"It was a fun experience," said Joshua, with his quiet voice and bashful demeanor. "We didn't win but at least we got some ties and a chance to play there."

Joshua hasn't stepped on a field since. An ankle injury has kept him out. He's seen a physical therapist and hopes to recover in time to join Hilltop for Mesa League play the week of Jan. 18.

"I'll get to play with people I know, mostly my friends. It won't be as difficult but it can still challenge me."

But that might not happen.

What was supposed to be a new type of experience for Joshua and something to add on his soccer resumé perhaps won't take place.

Something else other than an injured ankle could keep him out of high school action…his grades.

Joshua might not be eligible to play a game this season with the Lancers if he doesn't improve his grades.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees high school sports, enforces a 2.0 minimum grade point average for players to be eligible to play for their respective school. Club teams don't typically have a scholastic requirement to be eligible to play.

Joshua said his GPA is 1.9.

"I should be fine by the time we start to play," Joshua said after Albion's participation in the Turkey Shootout tournament in Las Vegas.

He might have to wait until his senior season to experience high school soccer. Joshua will probably return to playing club soccer through the winter.

It is a common theme among athletes throughout the county but more so in the South Bay. Players don't make the grades they need and miss out on high school soccer.

Others opt not to play for their high school teams to prevent injury.

The grades problem is attributed to different reasons by coaches. Players working, fatigue, lack of reliable instruction, laziness and lack of parental support are a few of them.

The latter is not an issue with Joshua.

His parents, Miguel and Adriana Flores, hope high school soccer can push their youngest son to perform better in the classroom.

"He's been focusing on a lot of extra credit work lately," said Miguel Flores. "This will push him even more. Club soccer is time-consuming. They have to follow a strict schedule. Joshua doesn't have a lot of time to do other things."

His mother, Adriana Flores, sees it as a chance to rest from constant traveling and drives to practices throughout the county. It will also help lighten the load on the wallet.

The family has struggled to make ends meet recently. Dad is unemployed. Mom is an independent sales agent. Even big brother Adrian has chipped in to help pay for Joshua's club dues, which can reach up to $1,200 every six months, and tournament fees.

These are all sacrifices the family is willing to make to help boost Joshua's chances at earning a scholarship.

Joshua doesn't know what he would like to study in college but he is certain he wants to play soccer at the professional level some day.

But he knows it can only happen if he scores in the classroom not just on the field.

Ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com

See video of Joshua's practice.