For decades, sports have played a major role in highschoolers’ lives. In today’s society there are numerous different ways to get involved within the school. Northeast is no different. With many different sports, clubs, and activities to chose from, there is something for everyone. Many students get involved because of the passion they have for the specific activity. There are many benefits that come along with being involved in extracurricular activities.
A major benefit to being involved has to do with their grades and grade point average (GPA). Students who are involved, especially with sports, learn better work ethics and are held accountable for their actions, they are also held to a higher standard within the school. This helps improve grades because the improved work ethic helps with completion of homework and participation in class. Being held accountable for their actions helps teach students responsibility leading to even more success for the high school students.
Students’ grades also improve because they do not want to be put on academic suspension and not be able to play the sport they love. Coaches and sponsors check grades every couple weeks. If a player has more than one F, they are put on academic suspension and are not able to participate for two weeks. Some coaches make the rules even more strict and do not let their athletes compete with any F’s, sometimes even punishing D’s. In an interview with head Athletic director Mr. Heath, “ LNE students perform significantly better throughout the season than when their grades are checked at the beginning of the season.” Sophomore Mariah Cates, a varsity basketball player here at LNE, states that her grades improve when she has a coach checking them but when she is not playing a sport has no motivation to keep her grades up.
Around 650 kids participate in sports here at Northeast. This number makes up about forty percent of our school population according to Mr. Heath. This promotes a very good school environment, especially because students go and support their friends at sporting events.
A study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise in August, 2007 found that students who were active in sports like soccer, football and even skateboarding performed 10 percent better in core subjects like math, science, social studies and language arts. Because sports are open to everyone, these benefits can be seen by everyone in the school. Teachers also can use it as a disciplinary tool. If kids are acting out in class the teacher can email the coach. The coach can take it from there and decide how severe the punishment should be.
Other than just sports, there are a multitude of clubs and activities a student here at Northeast can be involved in. Some clubs include language clubs, Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, and even anime club. Cole Meyer, next year’s president of Student Council, says “ It is important for students to be involved because they can develop strong relationships with peers and teachers, along with being able to make connections”.
It is super easy for students to get involved at Northeast, and it is also highly recommended by staff and students who are already involved. If you want to try out for a sport, you will need to get a sports physical completed. Packets for the physical can be found in the Athletic Office and need to be returned at the beginning of next school year. If you want to join a club or activity wait until August and listen to the announcements about the different clubs available, along with the time and place these clubs will meet. As our year winds down the Northeastern staff wants to congratulate all the sports and activities for another successful year here at the Rock. Thank you for everything you do and how you help make our school a better place. We hope everyone has a great summer and we cannot wait to see you back next school year. Go rockets!
