What's the problem and Why I care?
Extracurricular activities are found in all levels of our schools in many different forms. They can be sports, clubs, debate, drama, school publications, student council, and other social events. A student’s future can be determined in the things that they do in the hours after school and before their parents get home. The positive effects that they can have on students of all kinds ranging from the above average student to the student that is on the brink of dropping out of school. Extracurricular activities are activities that students participate in that do not fall into the realm of normal curriculum of schools. They are found in all levels of our schools. There are many forms of extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, governance, student newspaper, music, art, and drama. Extracurricular activities are totally voluntary so students that do not want to participate in them do not have to. That is very important because this allows a variety of students find what their passion is and what they love.The positive effects that extracurricular activities have on students are behavior, better grades, school completion, positive aspects to become successful adults, and a social aspect.
The first effect that extracurricular activities have on education is behavior. Students that participate in extracurricular activities have reduced behavior problems. Students have a responsibility to perform those tasks correctly, whether it is basketball of football plays, dance routines, or signals in baseball. When students perform these things correctly they are rewarded for their good behavior and they take pride in their accomplishments. Because of the pride they achieve, they gain better self respect, self esteem, and self confidence. Between the ages of nine and seventeen are when kids learn to make their own decisions and control their behavior. This is a crucial time for students to be in extracurricular activities because they are under supervision, guidance, and they are in engaged and enriched learning experiences. They are then better able to resist unsafe behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, gang involvement, and criminal activities.
Higher grades and positive attitudes towards school is the second effect that extracurricular activities have on students. Self esteem can be a predictor of academic performance. Students that don’t like school won’t do as well as the students that do like school because they are not motivated to succeed. If students don’t like school, it is usually because they do not feel as though they are succeeding or that they can succeed. In a study done by the USDE, “It was revealed that students who participate in extracurricular activities are three times more likely to have a grade point average of a 3.0 or higher. This is higher than students who did not participate in extracurricular activities. This is regardless of their previous background or achievement.” Extracurricular activities increases a students connection to school, raises their self esteem, and positive social natures.
The final effect that extracurricular activities have on students is the social aspect. Students that are involved in extracurricular activities meet many new people. Each club or sport is different, so students meet different people in all different groups. By joining different ones they meet people with the same backgrounds they have and people they share interests with. Most times the people that students meet are students that they would never talk to or become friends with on a normal basis. In different extracurricular activities students learn about group work, and sometimes they end up having less conformity to gender stereotypes.
Extracurricular activities are a part of students every day life. They play important roles in student’s lives. They have positive effects on student’s lives by improving behavior, school performance, and social aspects.