How to Replace Extracurriculars that Are Being Eliminated at Your Kids’ Schools

It seems every school district has a shrinking budget for one reason or another. Either the finances given to the school are shrinking or things are just getting too expensive for the money to keep up with. Because of this, extracurriculars are usually some of the first things to go as they are eliminated from the school’s plans. With school just starting back up for most, you might be noticing there are fewer activities for your kid to choose from. Here are a few ways to ensure your child still is able to enjoy these activities even if the school is no longer offering them.

Sports

Even if the school is facing a tough budget crunch, there are usually a few sports that are never dropped. Basketball, baseball, football, and volleyball are the sports that are kept around year after year as they are essentially the most popular. However, cutting other sports seems to be fair game if the number of students involved in them is small.

Wrestling is one sport that is not offered in all school districts as it does not seem to be taken as a priority for many. Luckily, wrestling, along with mixed martial arts, are being taught consistently in most towns nowadays. If your school has dropped wrestling or never deemed it worthy in the first place, your children can still pick up the sport. The same can be said for swimming. Most districts I have taught at or been associated with have not had a swim team. However, if you have a fitness center with a pool near where you live, there is a good chance that you can sign your kid up for some sort of swim team.

Band

Even with extracurriculars being eliminated, the schools usually keep Music around as they enjoy having students sing and put on little concerts here and there. But on the other hand, they will cut Band at the same time as giving students private lessons can get expensive. Don’t let this keep your child from becoming the next piano virtuoso. With a little bit of searching, you will be able to find someone that is qualified to teach your child his or her instrument of choice. In fact, iAchieve has individuals that can give your kid music lessons of all kinds. Our professionals will have your kids playing sweet music in no time!

Theater

Being able to climb up on the stage and perform in front of a crowd can change a kid’s life. Even if they do not want to pursue acting or theater as a career, it still will give them an inner confidence that otherwise could be tough to come by. Too many children are living lives that they would like to step out of at least for a little while. By immersing themselves in a role in a play, they are able to do this. As schools continue to put the theater on the back burner, neighborhoods are picking up the slack. If you look hard enough, you will be able to find a theater program that your child can enroll in.

Media

I have walked into high schools that have a complete Media Club. They are able to run a student radio station and offer little school television programs all produced and ran by high school students. Plus, these schools publish a complete newspaper either once a week or once a month. Unfortunately, this isn’t all too common as there just isn’t enough money in a school’s budget the majority of the time. Does this mean your kid will have to go without all of this media experience? Definitely not. Have your high school student volunteer at the local radio station or television station. While they may not get paid for their services, they will be picking up valuable experience. In addition, local newspapers are always looking for high school students to have a column in their paper talking about high school type things. You could be this student! I definitely wish I would have explored something like this back when I was in high school!

Written by: Ryan Crawley

Learn more!

Why High School Students Need to Take as Many Extracurriculars as They Can

Is It OK if my Child Doesn’t Play a Sport?

Extra, Extra! Stretching your Extracurricular Activities