• Children benefit from structured activities because it’s an opportunity to make friends and explore hobbies. Getting out of the house and interacting with people is good for enhancing social skills. Connections forged in early years can lead to long lasting friendships if based on a common interest and bond. Scheduled events make children work on time management and multitasking. A little stress is good for productivity, without the pressure of failure there’s no need to try hard.
    Clubs and sports meet regularly to either practice, train, or both. The reason is to make sure everyone is on the same page and they can move forward. Learning new sports moves is a form of progression and usually ties in skills that one already had. Practicing old moves not only helps memory, but also makes new moves easier to do. In basketball for instance, a player cannot move without dribbling a ball and therefore cannot make a good shot without dribbling closer to the hoop. Dribbling also strengthens arms muscles; making it more effortless to shoot from a farther distance. Passing is another option that requires teamwork and communication. Players on a team depend on each other to be ready and on time, meaning each person has to balance time spent playing and doing other things like homework. Sports are competitive because the players and fans want the team to be successful. Stress is placed on the players to perform at their best.
    Too much stress is bad, but there are steps to prevent it. Setting aside time before or after activities to do homework and not put it off means that it can’t pile up. Getting adequate sleep heightens alertness and the ability to handle things throughout the day, as well as eating a balanced diet. Getting up early to practice for a test is a good idea in theory, but if a person only gets 4-5 hours of sleep because they had a club meeting until late that night is not commendable. Using “free time” like waiting in lines, sitting on the bus, or waiting for something to finish microwaving are good times to use for studying. Scheduled and structured activities are a necessary part of a child’s development. Without time management, multitasking, stress management, and social skills it will be harder for a child to transition into adulthood.