Extracurricular activities are somewhat controversial.

Some people think that they are great and others think they overwork kids and take up to much time.

I personally think they are wonderful because they create friendships, strengthen team building skills, and create more job and college opportunities for kids.

So, if my principle required all kids to participate in at least one extracurricular, I would not object and here's why.

First off, not all kids fit in at school.

Some don't even have friends to talk to.

If they participated in an after school activity they would make more friends and it would help them out.

When someone is in an extracurricular activity they work with people who have similar interests.

Therefore, someone in that activity could form relationships with people.

This would help kids form more friendships and make their remaining years at school much more enjoyable.

So, one big impact extracurricular activities have, is giving kids more opportunities to make friends.

Another impact extracurricular activities have is strengthening team building skills and helping kids work well with others.

In most after school activities all of the kids are working towards a common goal.

Whether it be winning a game, publishing a school newspaper, or creating a masterpiece it's always a similar goal.

All the kids work together to accomplish it.

This helps them develop team building skills and allows them to learn about working with all kinds of different people.

For example, if a football team wanted to win their next big game, everyone on the team would have to put in effort and help each other out.

They wouldn't be able to win the game if the defense wasn't protecting the quarterback or if the quarterback wasnt throwing the ball.

So, it teaches kids that they need to help each other out and work together to accomplish things.

Lastly, it should be required to do at least one extracurricular activity because it creates more job and college opportunities for kids.

When colleges are looking at students, they want a kid who can offer more than just a good grade point average.

They want a kid who can work hard and make a difference.

So, they look to see if a kid has participated in an extracurricular.

If the kid has one on their record it will increase their chances of getting excepted.

Jobs look for the same qualities colleges do because it they want a good dependable employee.

Participating in an extracurricular activity increases someones chances of getting accepted at a college or job, so it is in their best interest to join one.

Overall, extracurricular activities help with a lot of things, some of the main ones are creating friendships, building team skills, and creating more job and college opportunities for kids.

There are many more reasons why participating in extracurricular activities are beneficial, but if I named them all it would take hours!

These activities are a good thing for kids, and kids should be required to participate in one every year.

The benefits that come from after school activities are great and very helpful to a lot of kids.