When entering the spring season, not only does the snow begin to melt and flowers begin to bloom, but a noticeable shift arises in the hierarchy of school sports and activities at Jefferson. Our students are suddenly freed from their tedious but worthwhile winter schedules. Teams finish off their seasons, ensembles perform one last time, and many other student-led programs close for the year. Spring punches this unfortunate hole in student’s schedules that many have a hard time filling, commonly resulting in an extracurricular deadzone during the spring, but how exactly do these former busy-bees stay busy, and why?
The popularity of spring extracurriculars lies in the need to stay active, or at least busy, after the long winter. Students at Jefferson like to get involved in the spring because it takes a load off their schedule as well as keeps them busy approaching the end of the year. Football players join track and field, choir members and instrumentalists look to the spring theatre performance, and many students rejoin what they consider their own primary sport. When asked about her involvement in theatre, senior Norah Person said, “I’m doing the musical because I want to keep singing all year and I like trying new things.”
Athletics and extracurriculars overall have been shown to largely improve the academic qualities of an involved student. A study done by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) finds “Students who participated [in extracurriculars] were three times as likely to perform in the top quartile on a composite math and reading assessment compared with nonparticipants. Participants were also more likely than nonparticipants to aspire to higher education”(NCES). The NCES explains that these chances for students to push themselves and others improve not only physical capabilities but also work ethic and overall mood.
Overall, the reason for spring involvement lies in a student’s need to “keep in shape” in the context of their respective extracurriculars. In turn, maintaining a constant level of commitment to an activity improves academic performance, gives students a chance to act in teams, and sets a higher standard for all involved.
