Cutting Extra Curriculars

There are no "Friday Night Lights" at Grove City, OH. All extra curricular activities have been cut including sports, cheerleading, band, drama, and student council. Since the city voted No on the levy, the district had to further nip the expenses from the 18 million already being cut. The board decided to cut extra curricular and bussing after they already cutting 12% of staff. Check out the debates of the levy.

This we already know can affect the town, the article discusses families, athletes, coaches, and teachers choosing or being forced to leave. Along with this, Grove City will have a hard time attracting new arrivals of families. The discussion could go in this direction as well as the debate of weather I think the levy should pass or the heated debacles that are taking place throughout the town. However, the direction I would like to go with this blog is the impact that the cutting of extra curricular activities will have on the students.

Students need these extra curricular activities. Aside from learning hard work and teamwork, football offers many things. Players can learn how to work with another person through adversity and other than ideal conditions. Along with this they can learn how to put the group's interest above their own. They can learn how to handle themselves when faced with adversity, failure, success, and being outmatched. Another thing they can learn is accountability; now their actions do not only affect themselves.

If students can learn this and much more from football alone, what else are these students missing out on? I understand that sports can get too much attention at times and that athletes miss a lot of school, but there are undeniable learning that comes from these activities. School is not just about math and reading. Much like college, school has a lot to do with experiences, exposure, and memories. We need to work hard that these privileges are available to our students.

We must also remember that extra curricular activities can be the candy. Sometimes these are the motivators that get that at-risk student to school. Have you been involved in drama, student counsel, or band as a teacher or coach? What things can they learn here that they can not anywhere else?

If the financial crisis does not turn around, this debate will be a hot topic that needs to be looked into. Extra curriculars has too much bang for it's buck to just be cut!

What do you think?