School clubs are great: sports, academic clubs, any other fun school activities. Chances are that you and any number of your friends are in at least one. After all, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2014 nearly 6 out of 10 students in the U.S. were in after-school activities. Why? They’re fun, they’re a great learning experience, and you can spend time with your friends. There are so many reasons to get involved!

I think of clubs as what makes a school colorful. For many, a full day of math, science and english can be boring. Maybe you don’t want to admit it, and that’s fine, but everyone needs a little something extra, something to look forward to (unless you think ELA is the most exciting thing in the world, and if so, great. You do you.)

Maybe you love soccer, or you’re a hardcore math enthusiast. Maybe you couldn’t live without READ club, or you look forward to NJHS meetings all month. Most can relate to this. As I said before, everybody has something that makes them happy. Now think about if that thing was gone from your life. Think about a world without your beloved robotics team, without the musicals, without your thing. It would be so dull, wouldn’t it? Personally, I love cross country and drama club. Singing is what makes my life colorful, running takes me into a different universe, one where I am trying my hardest and knowing that I’m not going to let myself give up. I don’t know what I would do without them.

Even if for some reason you don’t think kids need that fun, that color in their lives, think about all that you can get out of a school club. Take robotics for example. I think working with robots is pretty educational, or any team sport where kids learn to work hard, be good teammates and so many other life skills. Any academic club like Math Masters or READ Club are important because, obviously, they’re educational! 

School clubs are also proven to keep kids safe and well after school, when an increasing number of parents are at work whose kids would otherwise be at home alone or roaming the streets. Of course, no parent would want the latter for their child, which is yet another reason that any after-school activity is important. The U.S. Department of Justice has some scary stats: 29% of juvenile offenses occur on school days from 2:00-8:00 p.m, or the hours after school, when many students are home alone. In fact, the number of violent crimes double in the hour after school is let out!

Another thing to think about is how often we take school clubs for granted. Some kids don’t have these opportunities. Some kids must simply go to school, learn their reading, writing, math, science, etc. and go home. I would be so happy to bring these kids music and academic clubs and sports, to bring that color to everyone’s life.

We all should take advantage of what VMSS offers and enjoy our school activities. Find your happy place, your team, your club where you belong. Find, keep, and appreciate the color in your life.