By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album

Reviewed by Bryan Terry, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Heidi Radunovich, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida, and Suzanna Smith, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences

Now that school is starting up, families across the country are making decisions about what activities and sports, if any, their children will participate in this school year. As a parent, I often struggle with these choices. This fall, we finally took the plunge and signed our son up for soccer. I have to confess that I’m a little nervous about the commitment to the twice-weekly practices and weekly games, which are played so far away from my house as to seem like we’re taking an educational day trip to another part of the state!

Of course I want my kids to benefit from the many interesting and fun activities out there, but I also know that a heavy load of commitments can wear everyone out. From talking to other parents, I know I’m not alone in my concern.

Teens: Taking on Too Much?

This issue often becomes even more intense as children become teenagers. At this age, some students spend hours a day on homework while squeezing in sports and high-commitment activities as well. Some researchers have wondered if this kind of time commitment and pressure could be causing excess stress in youth, or decreasing their ability to achieve in school.

New insights into this question have emerged from several recent studies. In one, more than 13,000 tenth-graders from a wide range of backgrounds were asked how many extracurricular activities they did and how much time they spent on them. Their academic performance and attitudes toward school and education were also tracked.

Activities Enhance Academics–To a Point

On average, these teens took part in two to three extracurricular activities and spent about 5 hours per week on them. About 20% were not involved in any activities, and only about 3% devoted more than 20 hours a week to them. After taking family make-up and economic status into account, the researchers found that moderate involvement in activities appeared to be beneficial and was linked to improved school performance. However, at very high levels of involvement—more than 14 hours a week—teens’ academic well-being did decline.

Other Long-term Positive Effects

In the second study, more than 1000 teens were followed from high school into young adulthood to find out how being involved in extracurricular activities affected well-being in later life. Researchers learned that young adults who had been involved in extracurriculars were more likely to vote, volunteer, and be psychologically healthy and well-educated as young adults. This held true regardless of family income and race, and no negative effects were found even for those who had been involved at very high levels. Interestingly, while extracurricular involvement in high school wasn’t associated with increased substance use or delinquency in young adulthood, neither did it seem to be associated with decreases in these behaviors

These results show that most teens’ involvement in extracurriculars is at a reasonable level. It also appears that participation can enhance school performance, as long as the number of hours isn’t extreme. Research also supports the idea that after-school and extracurricular activities can provide wide-ranging benefits, lasting well beyond the high school years.

Some Teens Miss Out

Although it’s certainly possible for families and teens to become overwhelmed by too many activities, some experts also suggest that we may be focusing excessively on this issue while neglecting another. Many less privileged teens have little or no access to after-school activities, which are often lacking at poorer schools or may cost more than some teens’ families can afford. Increasing funding so that these opportunities are available to all could improve outcomes for these young people.

(Photo credit: FerMUN: Model UN Conference by itupictures. CC BY 2.0. Cropped.)

References:

Fredricks, J. (2011). Extracurricular participation and academic outcomes: Testing the over-scheduling hypothesis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. doi:10.1007/s10964-011-9704-0

Mahoney, J. L., & Vest, A. E. (2012). The overscheduling hypothesis revisited: Intensity of organized activity participation during adolescence and young adult outcomes. Journal of Research on Adolescence. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00808.x

(Originally published in slightly different forms as: Church, C. (2012). Extracurricular activities’ long-term positive effects. [Radio broadcast episode]. Family Album Radio. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida and Church, C. (2011). Extracurricular activities and your teen: how much is too much? [Radio broadcast episode]. Family Album Radio. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida)

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