The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities for Teenagers

Sports have a powerful and unique way of making a positive impact on a society. It provides a platform for people to come together. It gives individuals a sense of identity, courage, support and most importantly a way of escaping the realities of the world and creating their own. “Sports not only build better athletes but also better people,” affirms Julie Foudy. In this essay, I will discuss the positive relationship between mental health and extracurricular activities on teenagers. As we will look at the influences of sports on young adolescents, we ask the following question: what are the connections between social institutions, culture, individual experience, and sports? The interconnections between the individual and society can influence one’s social behavior and actions.

Sports are viewed as a social phenomenon. Various socio-cultural structures, patterns and institutions can be involved with sports. Sports lead to positive impacts on individual and society as a whole, both economically and socially. Participation in sport lowers stress rates and depressive symptoms in both genders. In fact, regular physical activity is associated with better mental health in adolescents. Sports help youths deal with depression and reduce suicidal tendencies; being involved in sports is considered to be an effective coping mechanism. Many positive outcomes are gained though sports, such as meaningful relationships, which help forge an individual’s identity. Moreover, physical activity and the participation in sports have been known to be linked to feelings of happiness, reducing anxiety and depression signs among teenagers.

Furthermore, sports act as a stress reliever for many adolescents. The majority of youths suffer from poor mental and physical health. High levels of parental support and involvement, as well as a safe school environment, religious beliefs, healthy lifestyle, low levels of drug consumption, and risky sexual activities ensure a positive mental health among adolescents. Regardless of these efforts aimed to ease the life of stressful students, poor mental health continues to prevail over time. Depression and suicide are the two main mental health issues present in today’s society. It is suggested that daily physical activity can result to a better physical health that would inevitably lead to a better mental health; when one’s body feels good, their brain also feels good. The authors found that in the Philippines, “52.7% of those who exercised for 60 min reported 11.6% being lonely and 13.6% being anxious. An important factor of physical activity is culture, which can affect an individual’s choice of activities due to what is available in their environment. Additionally, various social factors such as community, family, socio-economic status, school, and media can influence the quality of an individual’s life. Suicidal thoughts are usually related to interpersonal relationships and life satisfaction. An individual’s gender as well as their ethnicity can influence their well-being. The inability to manage one’s stress, fulfill goals and expectations can lead to suicidal ideation among youths. Some individuals decide to isolate themselves from the stressors of their life, block all communication with their surroundings and partake in risk-taking behaviours. In contrast, other individuals engage in physical activities to relieve stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, sports directly affect the interpersonal behaviors and mental health of both an athlete and even a simple bystander, for example, a student. Sports help teenagers live a better and healthier life. It can be considered as a stress management tool that separates individuals from the world around them and the pressures it can bring. Being away from the family, feeling obliged to obtain excellent grades, doubting the choice of major, studying for the finals, trying to balance demands of classes, work, and establishing a social life can be contributing factors to the large percentage of students that experience stress and anxiety. These stressors have the possibility to lead to suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Suicide is one dimension out of many other mental and social health dynamics that can be prevented by involvement in sports. In many articles addressing this subject, the authors mostly discuss about how participation in sports increases physical activity, and that engaging in those activities may reduce depression. Participating in sports activities have a tendency to ensure a sense of belongingness and reinforce social connections with other individuals that help reduce feelings of loneliness and depression. Team sports are an effective intervention that prevents adolescents from engaging in suicidal behaviour. Being actively involved in sports helps foster social bonding, increases self-esteem, promotes unity and builds character. Many social factors such as individual identity and its impacts on sport participation, cultural differences and group identities can lead to suicidal thoughts. Teens who participate in sports experience lower rates of suicidal tendencies compared to those who do not participate at all. Partaking in extracurricular activities reduce feelings of rejection and encourage school involvement as well as collective identity. The sense of being part of a group or accepted among others promotes a positive and safe environment for students which, in turn, decreases suicidal thoughts. Physical activity and sports participation are associated with well-being. Extracurricular activities, especially sports, can be an efficient strategy that can decrease adolescent suicide risks through a sense of belongingness. Drawing on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the researchers considered that early teenage participation in sports helped decrease the rates of suicidal behavior. Their findings imply that involvement in sports both on its own and in combination with other types of extracurricular activities tend to reduce suicide risks. Young adults with a strong athlete identity report an increased sense of teamwork and academic achievement that encourages sport-related social networking to protect against depression and suicidal tendencies.

In conclusion, specific life domains can affect an individual’s mental well-being. One’s mental health and overall success in life are measured by their income levels, family patterns, friendships and accessible health services. However, the inability to cope with stressful events and fulfill life goals has the possibility to lead to suicidal tendencies, especially among teenagers. Participating actively in sports is an effective intervention that prevents adolescents from engaging in suicidal behaviour as it helps individuals feel a sense of togetherness and boosts self-confidence. It reinforces social connections with other individuals who might experience the same hardships which tend to reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.

Bibliography

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