Extracurricular activities are beneficial for kids who are bored, want to invest time into earning a scholarship, or want to change something by putting themselves out there. However, does this mean every kid has to?

I don't believe that us kids should be forced to partake in after school activities.

First, not all schools provide a wide variety in extracurricular activities, which means that we are limiting the creativity, or expression, in students. So, by telling a student, "You have to participate in at least one activity," you are saying, "You have to be into these type of categories, or you'll never succeed." Children need to understand that you don't need to be a school sports athlete in order to do what you want in life..

Secondly, not all kids have the opportunity to stay after school. Some kids may have to take care of elders, or have a ton of homework. School is important, yes, but kids need to put their important, after school lives, first. Often, most kids' parents get home too late to pick up their child, leaving the kid to walk home, hitchhike, or phone a friend, which may be inconvenient for the friend, and dangerous.

Lastly, the kid may lose personal interest in other things. What if he/she decided to join an after school club just to feel left out, or stressed, and grew a bad attitude towards the club? This can cause stress, anxiety, and loss of sleep if he/she is stressed due to their dislike towards the club, but they are being forced, so they can not do anything about it. These causes can effect bad behavior in school, sleeping in class, dropping grades, and lack of interest in learning.

In conclusion, it should not be required to participate in sports, or activities. Children deserve to make their own decisions in order to have the same experience as an adult.