Extracurricular Participation And Academic Outcomes

In the United States, 57 percent of high school students participate in at least one kind of extracurricular activity (Bureau UC). Through extracurricular activities, youth have opportunities to develop very important life skills. Through participating in an activity that requires time outside of the normal school hours, students can learn to manage their time more efficiently. They must also develop rigorous study habits to perform well in the classroom as well as in their chosen activity or activities. Through team oriented activities and clubs, students must learn to work with others and attain interpersonal skills, along with a solid work ethic. Such activities provide a different type of environment than the classroom provides, and help them to become comfortable in various situations. There are many proven benefits when teens participate in extracurricular activities; such benefits include improved physical well-being, higher self-esteem, academic excellence, important social skills, and preparation to succeed not only school, but other settings as well.

If kids don’t try other sports, how do they know whether or not they might like those sports more or be better at them? For many athletes their bodies are not completely developed. By playing at the speed of the higher conditioned and developed players in the professional league, young underdeveloped athletes run the risk of suffering an early career ending injury. These opportunities, though, come at a cost. While young athletes are participating in intensive sporting education, their academic education may be neglected. Age effects take a greater approach to the physical side of the sports people body, as the older the sports person is, the more mature and developed their body is and the younger the person is the less developed they are. Training and traveling all

The purpose of this paper is to argue the fact that youth sports are not becoming too intense. After reading the New York Times article I decided to pick this topic and argue against this theory because as a division one athlete I have my own opinions. I picked three sources which can back up and prove that sports being too intense is very much your own opinion.

Jessica Statsky, in her essay, “Children need to Play, Not Compete” attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable for children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, “When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children” (627). While this statement is strong, her defense of it is weak.

In “Children Need to Play, Not Compete”, Jessica Statsky talks about the different kinds of students and their approach and mental and physical ability and pressure towards Sports. Statsky differentiates between two sets of children who have physical and mental attributes and towards sports. She gives a few examples and changes that have taken place in the past decades in the sports scenario. When overzealous parents and coaches impose adult standards on children's sports, the result can be activities that are neither satisfying nor beneficial to children. She further states that children should not be pressurized or forced upon their performance and improvement rather they should first be given a chance to understand the sport, their potential and the way in which they develop

In light of Jessica Statsky’s book ‘Children need to play, not compete’, she argued that, with the vivid increase of sporting competition lately in the United States, children have been exposed to the adults hard and rigorous training by devoted parents and coaches at their tender age making a game that is supposed to be fun and joy look hectic and strenuous to them due to the standard of training they are made to go through and also the belief that they must always win thereby making them lose the spirit of sportsmanship, and neither gaining satisfaction nor benefiting from them. In as much as sports are good for physical, mental and emotional growth, it should be organized in a manner that the youths will enjoy the game at the end of it rather than the fear of being hurt or defeated by the other competitors.

Youth sports are popular activities for American children and their parents. They give the kids an outlet for restless energy, and parents somewhere to send restless kids: outside. These activities are so popular, in fact, that according to Jay Atkinson in an article for the Boston Globe, “a total of about 45 million [American] kids” play at least one organized sport each year, mostly at the behest of their parents (“How Parents Are Ruining Youth Sports”). Those of us who are thirty and older may have memories of long, summer days spent at local parks, fields, pools, and courts where we enjoyed the freedoms of child’s play without much parental involvement. Youngsters today are not nearly as free to play as past generations were because parents

In the most recent decade, the controversy of youth sports has been a very important discussion for people in the United States. Sports are a popular pastime for young athletes, and there are approximately 45 million participants of youth sports in the US. However, just like most things, there are pros and cons to be considered of these activities.

In “Children need to play, not compete”, Jessica Statsky exposes the dangers of competitive youth sports. She claims that controlling coaches and parents “impose adult standards on children’s sports.” According to Statsky, numerous parent-funded programs would rather have a victorious team then to help players develop skills and self-esteem. She voices her concerns about all organized sports activities, clearly articulating her own view on this matter. Furthermore, she seeks to draw awareness to the physical, psychological, and other affects these activities have on young kids by providing the reader with strong examples of the unhealthy situations children in sports have experienced.“Their goals should be having fun, learning, and being with

“All of us wish we had perfect childhoods with a mother and a father who modeled ideal parental attitudes and taught us how to internalize the tenets of self-love (Williamson).” Many of us, however, did not. There are many pressures in life, one that youth and adolescents need to worry about is the pressure surrounding performance in organized sports. The problems surrounding and the argument about pressure in sports date back to when organized youth and adolescent sports were created in the nineteenth century. When modern sports were invented in 1862, there were many great benefits of sports, such as more people staying physically active and higher grades among students who participated in sports. (“Oneida Football Club”). However, the parental

Currently over 36 million children participate in organized sports ("Youth Sports," 2015). This reason is why parents must ask themselves whether or not youth sports build character. This question is essential for parents in making the decision regarding the enrollment of their children in youth sports. Organized youth sports have been around since the early 20th century. Society has accepted that these sports generally convey values and cultivate character (Fitzpatrick, 2008).

Students can be put under a lot of pressure to succeed, which results in them not giving their best effort. According to Michael Lorene, J.V. basketball coach at Jesuit High School in California, “Those that seem to have an overwhelming schedule and are playing multiple sports tend to be doing better academically than kids who don’t do extra curricular activities.” While this may be true of some kids, everyone’s brain works a different way, and this is not the case for most high schoolers. Andre Gregory, a Sophomore at Jesuit, says, “It’s very difficult fitting in studies and having to go to practice late at night.” So, while parents may believe that they’re doing what’s right for their kids, putting them in sports may cause extra, unnecessary

Carlson, Karlie. "Sport & U.S. Culture." : Disadvantages Youth Sports. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .

Since their introduction in the early 1900s, youth sports programs have taken the United States by storm. Young athletes anywhere can partake in almost any sport that is offered around the world. Sports of any kind can bring millions of people to their feet. Sports build bonds and, in turn, can also create some of the best rivalries. The athletes that we know and love on television did not just come to be in one day or even one season. Star point-guards and nationally-loved quarterbacks are made over the course of many years of dedication, as are athletes of all collegiate or professional sports. Every single athlete playing at the collegiate level or professional, started their sports career as a child.

The process of choosing a suitable college varies among many. The ability to attend college is still seen as a luxury to most people today. People from all around the world compete for the opportunity to be accepted into the colleges and universities of their choice. However, some people are unable to attend their higher education institution of choice due to various reasons such as financial barriers, academic barriers, and family support. Therefore, choosing the institution that fits best in all aspects is important. When applying to higher education institutions, it is important for prospective college students to exemplify themselves by demonstrating the best of their abilities both academically and socially.