Extra-Curricular Activities Are Essential
There was a time when humans used to live in this earth just for survival. Today, after thousands of years since our ancestors started their journey, the purpose of our living has changed a lot. Now, we are not here just to make a living; we have become explorers. A curiosity inside everyone of us drives us to reach to the success. In this way, for every child to grow up as a successful individual he or she has to put some effort from his or her childhood. Things such as academic activity and mental health can be considered good effort but extracurricular activity is the vital one. That’s why extracurricular activities should be encouraged in schools and colleges as it creates the opportunity of socialization, helps in academic performances and develops the intellectual quality of an individual.
**Description- Social life is a very important component for human beings as we are social animals. The engagement of an individual in an extracurricular activity gives him/her an opportunity to form friendship not only with peer but also with elders and juniors, which will help a person to develop skills like team spirit and understanding. There are also such students for whom social interaction in extracurricular activities is their first ever experience working with others. That is not just normal working; he/she works with the group for a common goal. To analyze this social factor, let’s take two random students one is academically excellent with no involvement in extracurricular activities whereas the other is academically average but gets involved in music and soccer. Among these two, the one who gets involved in extracurricular activities will get higher chance to get acquaintance with several people such as music teacher, soccer players, and opponent team players and coaches. While playing soccer, the player needs to understand other players, work as a team for a common goal and music requires expression of emotions. Those with a different point of view may say that such friendship may not last long and what will be useful in the long run is the academic qualifications and knowledge. However, I would respond by saying that if qualifications and knowledge is all that matters, then why don’t humans necessarily strive for knowledge; humans can live without academic qualifications but not without friends; if anybody thinks they can abandon social life, then they can give a try just living alone for a couple of weeks, completely separated from all people.
**Comparison/Contrast-Extracurricular activities are directly linked with good academic performances. This can be seen from one of the research conducted by Dr. John Bradley. According to ‘School Sport and Academic Achievement’, “Encouraging participation in school and providing access to different sports throughout secondary school years may be positive for improving academic scores. “The research was based on a group of 402 boys graduating from a secondary school in Ireland from 2008 to 2011, where the participants were given to choose from four options that are rugby, rowing, soccer and no sport. From all the results collected from 2008-2011, it was found that the average score of school leaving certificate of a student involved in extracurricular activity (rugby, rowing and soccer) (431.5) was higher than that of the students that did not participated in any activity (406.1); the total points possible was 600. Both 431.5 and 406.1 out of 600 are good scores but when compared 431.5 comes out to be the better one. According to Mahoney quoted by Metsäpelto, “Not surprisingly, activity participation by adolescents has been found to be linked with higher educational attainment and achievement, reduced problem behaviors, and heightened psychosocial competencies. “Proponents of the counter position may say that allotting a great deal of time for studying ensures success in academic part and future too. However, I would respond by saying that extracurricular activities can improve students' stress management as well as time management skills ultimately improving overall productivity to excel academically.
**Induction/Deduction - Another benefit of extracurricular activities is the development of intellectual of an individual. According to Ganz, Scott and Hasset, Kevin, “…the change in behavior of kids on a team can be extraordinary. Parents do not have to hound kids to practice. They do so voluntarily. And when they do, they almost always improve.” This is a vital aspect of extracurricular activities. While participating in extracurricular activities, as team a child develops the skills of commitment, awareness of goal, self-esteem, focus, time management. When involved in the games like basketball, soccer, cricket, and football etc. the player learns the co-ordination of brain and body movement can function under extreme mental pressure, can work according to coaches’ guidelines. According to Bill Bradley, “Basketball can serve as a kind of metaphor for ultimate cooperation. It is a sport where success, as symbolized by the championship, requires that the dictates of community prevail over selfish impulses. “This quote states explains how a single game gives so many intellectual quality to a player. Additionally, activities like music and art aids in our creativity. If a student is surrounded by likeminded people, then he/she can exchange more of the knowledge. “Science without inventiveness is only a technique. It is closely linked to art in that basic discoveries have been dependent on a spirit of play.” (Erikson) And our teaching method is a science. When involved in extracurricular activities, we do play with our thoughts and physique that helps us to invent new things within ourselves some are discipline, commitment, tenacity, control and a healthy respect for authority.
Today school or college should not be a place for only studies; it should broaden its boundaries towards making a student all-rounded. A college or a school is not successful for enrolling thousands of students; it is successful when those thousand students come up as social personality. Extracurricular activities provides a great purpose in the social and cognitive development of children which is why every child should have the opportunity to participate in at least one activity that fits his/her personality and interests.
Works Cited:
Bradly, John, Francis Keane, and Susan Crawford. "School Sport and Academic Achievement." Journal of School Health 83.1 (2013): 8-13.Wiley Online Library. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
Erikson, Joan M. "The Vitalizing Properties of Creative Activities: Play and Playfulness." Wisdom and the Senses: The Way of Creativity. I Ed. New York: Norton &, 1988. 49-50. Print.
Ganz, Scott, and Kevin Hasset. "Sports Benefit Children." Sports and Athletes. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. 26. Print.
Metsäpelto, Riitta-Leena, and Lea Pulkkinen. "Socioemotional Behavior And School Achievement In Relation To Extracurricular Activity Participation In Middle Childhood." Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 56.2 (2012): 167-182. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
National Basketball Association. "NBA.com: Classic NBA Quotes: The Game of Basketball." NBA.com. National Basketball Association, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2014
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