Extracurricular activities are activities that students participate in outside of the regular school day, and can range from sports and clubs to academic competitions and volunteer work. A study by National Louis University digital commons found that students who participated in soccer during the first quarter of the school year had higher GPAs than those who were not involved in sports in the second quarter. This research demonstrates that students achieve better academically when they are motivated and manage their time wisely while being faced with challenges.

As discussed above, we need to encourage sports and clubs because they are vital to the high school experience and improve individual academic success. Ava Thatcher, a ninth-grader who has had the opportunity to play varsity soccer, realizes that this is a very big opportunity. She wishes that others could have the same experiences she has had. She wants to play soccer throughout the rest of her high school career and is very happy with her accomplishments. She is concentrating her efforts on keeping up a good GPA in order to stay on the team. Thatcher emphasizes that without the drive of her teammates, she wouldn’t be the person she has developed into today. Having this experience and motivation as a freshman makes a difference in success and is something everyone should be faced with.

Overall, participation in extracurricular activities continues to show positive effects. As we promote student participation in extracurricular activities, we are helping to solve the persistent problem of low grades and inspiring our students to do better. Therefore, let’s concentrate our efforts as a school on persuading students to participate in extracurricular activities. By doing this, we can provide DHS with numerous benefits that ensure children have an enjoyable time during their high school years.