Support area children’s activities

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The hustle and bustle of the school year is well underway, and so too are a wealth of local afterschool athletic and academic activities. A lot of hours of work and planning go in to the preparation for these activities, whether they be band performances, cheerleading, football or any other sport or academic competition. This effort is put forth not only by the students, but also by the coaches and volunteers who work alongside them, and all are eager to display their talents to local audiences of support.

This school year, make an effort to turn out for a local game or performance to show support for these young people’s hard work.

While there is no doubt the support is much appreciated, the benefits go beyond the individual performances and carry over to other aspects of their lives as well.

Without overloading on extracurriculars, research suggests that the benefits of structured extracurricular activities for school-age young people extend beyond the rewards of the activities themselves. According to a Harvard Family Research Project study, out-of-school time activities benefit academic achievement and help build confidence by strengthening relationships with adults who can have a positive influence and providing a safe venue for engaged learning.

The talent these young people display denotes their focus to their craft. Every game, every cheer and every halftime performance is an exercise in character building for these young people — a quality that they can apply in all other walks of life from this point forward. Their efforts also help to build focus and concentration, teach the importance of setting goals and dedication, as well as the value of sportsmanship and teamwork.

We may not realize just how much it uplifts each of these teams when they see a sizeable hometown crowd cheering them on. Support local bands, cheerleaders, coaches and players this season by representing for the home teams in the crowd.