Nothing Extra About It

During the upcoming mid-semester break we have four of our varsity teams competing in the new ACSC sports league tournaments. The teams competing are varsity girls volleyball (Bangkok), varsity boys volleyball (Hong Kong), varsity boys soccer (Chiang Mai), and varsity girls soccer (Penang).

Being a part of these sports teams and competing in these tournaments involves a lot of time and effort for both our student athletes and our coaching staff. Why do we put so much time and effort and encourage our students to get so involved in activities outside of class? Well simply, it is “education for life.”

We believe strongly that extracurricular activities are an important part of teaching and educating our children. The activities themselves really are not “extra,” but instead are an enhancement of our educational curriculum. The activities that our children get involved in outside of the classroom enhance their education in a number of different ways:

• 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 overall.
• 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.{1}

As our teams head out next week, we are excited for them not just because of the chance to win but also because of the opportunity to compete, experience challenges, engage with new cultures, serve less fortunate people through community service, and many other great aspects of these events. No matter what the scores of the games are, our students will ultimately be winners.

Have a great mid-semester break,

Mr. Karl Steinkamp
Director

{1} http://www.osaa.org/docs/osaainfo/08CaseForHSActivities.pdf