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Benefits of extra-curricular activities for teens

Everyone knows that the core of education is within the curriculum, but extra-curricular activities are vital in teaching our teens the basics in, not only surviving life, but finding a life that's abundantly blessed. The key to a teens success later on in life, has everything to do with a balanced experience, which includes those activities beyond math or biology class. The benefits include an intrinsically determined will, good self esteem and relationship skills.

Determined Will:

Before we can learn how to succeed at anything, we must first learn how it feels to fail. Failure teaches us about determined will. High School athletes experience this every day, and sometimes the hard way. Still, with every defeat, they learn how to succeed.

When I was in high-school, our football team hadn't had a victory over our cross town rivals for years, but in our senior year, the boys on our team were able to find a kind of determined will. They created a victory through the power of desire and a unified determination, which the other team didn't have. Amazing things can happen in a life when a person learns the art of determined will.

Self esteem:

Life isn't easy if we have low self esteem. It affects all our relationships and our success. The best way for a teen to gain self esteem, is to become vulnerable to his peers. Yes, this is a risk and the child must go out on a limb. He may even be rejected now and then. Still, in the scheme of things, self esteem will never be found unless the teen is able to reach out.

I've seen teens cower in the back of classrooms and become invisible. Others act out in an effort to feel visible. Extra curricular activities help teens learn how it feels to be liked. They acquire those skills which will help their relationships for the rest of their lives.

Everyone needs a time in their lives when they shine. We need to know what it's like to win sometimes. We need to be good at something and be noticed for it. One teen might be an athlete, so they shine on the football field. Another may have the gift of song and joins the choir or band. Cheerleaders learn how to inspire and never give up hope. Communication becomes the outlet for those in the foreign language clubs.

When I was in school, we had the rodeo club and future farmers of America. The drama club entertained us and the choir soothed our souls. The band gave us a spirit inside and taught us how to be upbeat. The year book club preserved our

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