Let's imagine you are the best player in your grade at basketball. You're in the ninth grade and have dominated ever since you started playing. One day a friend walks up to you and asks, "Do you want to play after school basketball with me and work on our skills?" You respond, "No, because I'm already the best! Why would I try to get better when I'm already better than everyone?" Your friend says back to you, "So that you can perfect your skills and get better at other skills." You say, "I'm not going to work on my moves because I'm already good enough." You keep this mindset throughout high school. By the time you're a senior you are kicked off the team because you don't show up to practice and are one of the worst players on your team. That is because you thought you were always the best, and never practiced basketball. As other kids were gaining skills, you stayed the same and over time, you were losing skills.

Your principal has just decided to force students to do extracurricular activities after school. Some students are unhappy because they don't think they need to do these activities and would rather be at home. These kids are likely not as engaged or don't have as good of a presence in the community because they don't want to do these activities.

Most students, are fine with this because they go to after school activities already. These students are more engaged with their peers and teachers because of the extra work they do with them.

I agree with the principal because students should do after school activities to help make a good work ethic, be a better member in the community, and to do physical/mental activity regularly.

Kids who do extracurricular activities have better work ethics because they're used to doing extra work to achieve what they want to achieve. They know what they want and will work hard to get it. These students have stay after talk with teachers, peers, and other members of the school community to help be a better student or athlete. They also understand what it takes to complete their goal in their extracurricular activity.

These kids are also better members of the community because, for example, if you are in year book you know what is happening in the school community. If you know what is happening in the community then you know how to make it better and make yourself better. When you are a positive figure in your community, people tend to trust you more often and are more friendly in general. It helps you more than it hurts you when you know you're a good figure in your community.

If you do after school basketball then you're doing mental and physical activity every time you are there. You get benefits by just running around in basketball because it keeps you in shape for other sports. It also helps you mentally because you have to know plays. If you do both physical and mental activity then you are doing your after school activity correctly.

In short, extracurricular activities are very important and should be used by every student. It helps students mentally and physically. It helps them become good figures in their community. It helps them build bonds with teachers and students. Extracurricular activities are very positive things for students to do and should be used by most, if not all students.