Fall is around the corner and students are back in the classroom for another school year. This means the annual inundation of school activities will begin very soon.
Great Bend High School’s boys’ soccer team, girls’s golf team, girl’s tennis team, cross country team, football teams and volleyball teams all take the field in the coming weeks. 
Before long, there will be concerts, site council meetings, picture days, dances, plays and other activities. The number of our youth engaged in these in our area is staggering.
These extracurricular activities are the important part of our schools. Some of these activities take place during the school time, while others, after the school time or on weekends. These events can be time consuming, both for the kids and the parents, who have to arrange transportation fork over extra fees and make special schedule plans.
Some parents encourage their children to take part. Some do not.
The advantages of extracurricular activities are enormous, and here we will look at just a few significant benefits of extracurricular activities. The extracurricular activities are extremely important for your child, and it helps your child to develop his skills in many other areas besides just studies.
They teach time management, goal setting, they give the students a sense of belonging, they help build self esteem and they help develop friendships.
 Granted, what kids learn in the classroom is important as well, but life is about more than text books and tests. The added benefits these outside programs provide also help prepare them for the future.
So, if there is something going on, we should get out and support the youth. These are positive events that cast our young people in a positive light.
Also, school officials need to remember these special activities when it comes to funding. Whether they be sports or arts, they are worth every penny.
Dale Hogg