The Case for High School Activities

The following are excerpts from the National Federation of High School document, ‘The Case for High School Activities’.  The full document can be found through the Federation’s Web site: www.nfhs.org

At a cost of only one to three percent (or less in many cases) of an overall school’s budget, high school activity programs are one of the best bargains around. It is in these vital programs - sports, music, speech, drama, debate - where young people learn lifelong lessons as important as those taught in the classroom.

The following are excerpts from the National Federation of High School document, ‘The Case for High School Activities’.  The full document can be found through the Federation’s Web site: www.nfhs.org

At a cost of only one to three percent (or less in many cases) of an overall school’s budget, high school activity programs are one of the best bargains around. It is in these vital programs - sports, music, speech, drama, debate - where young people learn lifelong lessons as important as those taught in the classroom.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a creeping indifference toward support for high school activity programs by the general public. This neglect undermines the educational mission of our schools and the potential prosperity of our communities.

There is no better time than today to assert “The Case for High School Activities.” Education and community leaders across the nation must be made aware of the facts contained in this material. From interscholastic sports to music, drama and debate, activities enrich a student’s high school experience, and the programs must be kept alive. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its membership believe that interscholastic sports and fine arts activities promote citizenship and sportsmanship. They instill a sense of pride in community, teach lifelong lessons of teamwork and self-discipline and facilitate the physical and emotional development of our nation’s youth.

Benefits of Co-curricular Activities

Activities Support the Academic Mission of Schools. They are not a diversion but rather an extension of a good educational program. Students who participate in activity programs tend to have higher grade-point averages, better attendance records, lower dropout rates and fewer discipline problems than students generally.

Activities are Inherently Educational. Activity programs provide valuable lessons for practical situations - teamwork, sportsmanship, winning and losing, and hard work. Through participation in activity programs, students learn self-discipline, build self-confidence and develop skills to handle competitive situations. These are qualities the public expects schools to produce in students so that they become responsible adults and productive citizens.

Activities Foster Success in Later Life. Participation in high school activities is often a predictor of later success - in college, a career and becoming a contributing member of society.

Duxbury High School is fortunate as we have an extremely high participation rate in our interscholastic athletic teams and other co-curricular activities.  Please support our high school activities, not just for successes at the high school level but also for the human beings who lives are forever enriched by their benefits.