The Importance of Student Choice in High School Clubs

Student clubs are one of the most beloved parts of high school. The freedom that is based on the student's individual personality. I feel that if a school was to force their students into clubs that they are not interested in, the entire idea for personal progress in bettering themselves, would be gone.

Clubs allow students to express themselves based on their preferences. Students often have varying personalities and interests, for that reason, the capability to choose their own clubs allows them to, not only express their interests in an extracurricular way, but it also allows them to meet others with common interests.

Certain clubs can have a negative affect on students by putting too much stress on their members and put too much pressure on them; giving them anxiety and that dark hanging feeling over their head. The feeling of failure can be very hard for a kid, for example, The Debate Team, stating arguments against the opposing rivals to a technical foul in a basketball game.

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The ever-lurking fear of failure is always there, no matter how good things seem on the outside. When a child is forced into something they don't want to do, just for their parents, it is a very hard thing to live with. During club activities kids often have the same mindset, beat the opposing member(s), don't fail, and of course, win.

When someone focuses so much on winning or being better, the impact of losing can very stressful and can correspondingly cause breakage within friendship bonds, social connections, and educational means such as breaking down mentally and just completely shut down due to stress.

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The emotional trauma some kids go through can also be very difficult. With kids being so different and varying from interest to interest this means that negative effects could be mild or severe, depending on the child and their mentality.

In the article "Negative Effects of Children Forced into Extracurricular Activities" by Baldwin Ellis it states that "Parents are generally the worst judges for their children's ability·Their emotional attachment clouds their judgment and believes that their child can do anything they set their mind too·" as we all know that's not the case in the real world.

Most clubs are time consuming students put a lot of time and effort into them, for example, key club. Key club is a "student run" organization dedicated to building character and provide service opportunities. In the article clip "Let Children Motivate Themselves "By KJ Dell 'Antonia" she shares that "... I'm solidly Team Quitter, and no product manufacturer is ever likely to invite my children to laud me in a commercial (unless it's for coffee).

If they don't want to play the sport; if they don't want to practice the instrument; if getting them out of the house to do the activity involves a battle, then as far as I'm concerned, they can stay home." This shows that not only do kids suffer from the impact of extracurricular activities, but parents do as well, spending money on various sports equipment, musical instruments, or even team t-shirts. An investment that the child may not even be interested in later in the future.

Clubs can also be expensive and cash consuming, money is also a big issue for families as well. With this money issue, parents and students must also put a lot of time into clubs and that can lead to academic failures. Lack of time at home can make a student fall behind on their homework assignments or study time this can cause grades and stress to fluctuate themselves, quite commonly, in negative ways.

In the article "Let Children Motivate Themselves" By KJ Dell 'Antonia it says "I should say that my children are joiners, not quitters, so I may come at this from a different angle. I spend more time saying no no gymnastics if you also play hockey, no musical instrument if you struggle every night with getting your homework done than I do trying to push my children into things. It's also easy to let your kids quit activities when you're neither emotionally nor financially invested "

With all the negatives there are also many positives to side with clubs as well. They can often help with creating new bonds with a student's peers and give a good source to express yourself in a social environment, I know this because I have personally experienced this and so has many of my fellow students.

Some extracurriculars look good on resumes such as public service, career services, debate teams, and clubs that relate to someone's specific major. clubs are also intended to be an outlet for students that they can choose to do in their spare time. Even when free time is available that time could be dedicated to down time or homework assignments.

However, when forcing students into extracurricular activities it can cause problems could be quite harmful for a student's mental health and overall academic success, and unlike regular classes, for no academic benefit.

Schools may want students to join in extracurricular activities with the hopes to help said students "be a part of the school" however said activities usual do not have an impact on the school, academically. Extracurriculars don't provide very many school related opportunities unless they are scholarship related such as sports or the fine arts.

All in all, clubs are for enjoyment, to bring fellow students with the same interests together and to have them in a controlled environment with the free time they have. The only reason schools should be appointing clubs as becoming mandatory is if they were to become credit points or to be ascribed as a "character building" grade.

If clubs were to become mandatory who is to say that we would have multiple options and multiple clubs to choose from? We would most likely have the basics of art, band, choir, and sports, some students are into drama or film making.

The clubs would fill up to fast as well and would lead to forcing students into different clubs they wouldn't like and would just take up unnecessary time for something they don't enjoy, for example an artsy kid gets put into the sporty club; it just doesn't make much sense now does it?

With that being said, why force kids into extracurriculars when they can consider plenty of other many great clubs to choose from. Something the students can enjoy in their high school years, with that being said let the students pick their clubs and let them express who they are.

Updated: Mar 22, 2023
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The Importance of Student Choice in High School Clubs. (2019, Nov 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/student-clubs-essay

The Importance of Student Choice in High School Clubs essay
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