After-school sports
After-school sports encompass a wide range of organized athletic activities for children and teenagers, allowing them to engage in both team and individual sports outside of regular school hours. These programs are noted for promoting physical fitness, emotional well-being, and social connections among participants. Involvement in after-school sports can foster a sense of responsibility and enhance teamwork skills, which may contribute positively to academic performance. Research indicates that young people who participate in these programs experience fewer behavioral issues, greater self-confidence, and a lower likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, such as drug use and crime.
After-school sports are offered in various settings, including schools, recreation centers, and community organizations, providing diverse opportunities for youth to explore different athletic activities. The benefits extend beyond physical health, as participating in sports can lead to improved social dynamics and problem-solving abilities, which are valuable in both academic and personal contexts. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the funding and prioritization of after-school sports, with some voices advocating for a reevaluation of resources in light of budgetary constraints. Proponents argue that eliminating these programs could have far-reaching negative consequences for youth, including increased rates of obesity, crime, and academic underachievement.
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After-school sports
A variety of after-school sports programs exists for children and teenagers to learn how to play a particular sport. Playing sports positively affects juveniles in many ways. Sports participation helps them become physically fit and create emotional bonds with others. In addition, children and teenagers learn about responsibility and teamwork, which can positively affect a student's academic performance. Surveys from the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice show that those who participate in after-school sports programs have fewer behavioral problems and more self-confidence.
According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC), after-school sports and other after-school programs help keep children and teenagers from participating in crimes and other questionable behaviors. The organization found that juvenile crime and violence is at its highest during the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., when most children and teens have no supervision because their parents are at work. The NYVPRC estimates that juveniles who do not participate in after-school activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more likely to engage in sexual relations and risk becoming a teen parent.
Overview
Two types of after-school sports (and sports in general) exist: team and individual sports. Team sports are played in a group with the team competing against other groups. Team sports are widely popular and include football, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, and hockey. Team members usually form strong bonds because they all compete for the same end result. However, sometimes teams are large and not all members get to play as much as others, which can lead to resentment among team members.
Individual sports allow participants to compete against themselves as well as others. These types of sports include golf, tennis, swimming, track-and-field, cross country, and wrestling. Those who play individual sports are typically part of a team, but its performance depends on individual successes.
In addition to schools, juvenile sports programs can be found in recreation centers, day camps, and organizations such as the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) or the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Places such as these sometimes offer children and teens additional opportunities to play sports and may have a wider variety of activities than are offered at schools.
Benefits
Participating in after-school sports is good for many reasons. Research has shown that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity and other ailments, including diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, those who participate in after-school sports are more likely to be physically healthy than those who are not active. In addition, juveniles who are active typically consume healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables and avoid unhealthy habits such as using drugs and alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Research shows children and teens who develop healthy, active lifestyles at a young age are more likely to continue this practice as adults.
In addition, playing after-school sports helps participants develop emotional and social advantages. Being part of a team helps children and teens develop a camaraderie with others who share a common goal. Team members forge friendships and typically form social cliques at school. Being part of a circle of friends with like-minded goals helps children and teens develop self-confidence. This may help in situations such as being bullied. If someone is picking on a teammate, another teammate will likely come forward to help. Or the teammate being bullied will have developed enough self-esteem to stand up for themselves.
Participating in both team and individual sports also helps children and adults develop problem-solving skills, which can bolster academic performance. Playing sports coupled with receiving good grades can lead to reduced school dropout rates. Also, good academic performance and sports participation can improve a student's chances of getting into a college of choice and even receiving a scholarship to attend college.
Since many parents work outside the home during after-school hours, many children and teens are unsupervised during these times. Those without proper supervision are at risk for engaging in risky behaviors such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol, joining a gang, having unprotected sex, or even becoming a victim or perpetrator of crimes. Research has found that juveniles who participate in after-school sports are less likely to engage in these activities.
While the benefits of after-school sports are widely known, some education experts have spoken out against school sports. They argue that sports can distract from academic goals and that spending on athletics takes money away from instructional spending that would benefit a larger population of students. Some have proposed cutting after-school sports programs in schools across the United States because of budget concerns, particularly football, which presents many other challenges such as high concussion rates. Furthermore, critics point out that the rise of expensive and time-consuming travel teams have pulled students away from both academics and other extracurriculars that help to make a well-rounded student. Supporters of sports programs argue that their elimination could be detrimental to children and teens and lead to higher rates of obesity, school dropouts, juvenile crimes, drug and alcohol use, and unplanned teen pregnancies. Schools and other groups across the nation continue to fight to keep funding for after-school sports programs to avoid the negative consequences if these programs are eliminated.
Bibliography
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