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[G277]Girls Fighting After School

by Daniel Davis, Dan

After school programs are basically designed to develop talents or skills in areas that are ignored by regular school curriculums. The programs can be recreational or educational in nature, but they all share the intention of keeping kids active and interested.

The most important advantage of a good after school program is that it broadens your child's area of interests. He or she is introduced to new opportunities, challenges and fun activities. Mastering a new skill or art form does wonders for increasing the child's self-esteem. Learning after school in a good program can even help shape your child's future career path. Children attending music class may find they love it so much, they want to make a career of music in the long run.

Socialization is another great advantage of after school programs. Your child will meet other kids with similar interests, and learn valuable lessons about friendship and teamwork. An acting class or a soccer team can be lots of fun. Good coaches and instructors will also take a leadership role in preparing children for games and performances. Performing on stage or playing in the big game can be a thrilling and rewarding experience for a young child.

Opportunities for learning after school aren't exclusively for younger kids. After school programs can also keep your teenager happily busy. When teens are involved in sports, music or community programs, they are less likely to become involved in destructive behaviours like drug or alcohol use. Studies indicate that kids who are kept busy through diverse and absorbing activities are less prone to abuse, burnout and depression. A good after school program can bring significant increases in personal and academic achievement and school attendance, while reducing the probability of dropping out of school.

Kids of all ages need good role models. When given opportunities for learning after school, children are usually interacting with one or more responsible adults. The benefits of a positive adult relationship with an adult can help children to mature and develop in a positive, productive way. Children face serious issues every day, but aren't always comfortable confiding in a parent or teacher. An after school program coach or counselor can be a trusted confidante and offer valuable advice.

Many parents enroll their children in recreational programs to help them stay active, remain healthy or lose weight. Recent trends indicate that about 15 percent of children below the age of 16 are considered to be obese. Parents who cannot or choose not to place their children on a strict diet will often choose after school sports as an alternative. With cases of obesity in children and childhood diabetes on the rise, sports programs and physical activity has become a prime focus of many after school programs.

After school learning opportunities keep children entertained and busy, so they don't have time to waste away their afternoons in front of computers or televisions. Kids are so busy burning excess energy and exploring their creativity, they don't realize that the after school program is helping to develop their social skills and shaping their overall personalities.

Our society demands expertise in everything, and no child can receive the complete development he or she needs simply from textbook lessons. In this age of specialization, children should taken advantage of opportunities to learn and grow in every possible area. Check your local listings for advantageous programs to get your child involved in learning after school.

The date was sometime around March 15, 1964. This day could not have arrived swiftly enough. At last the day we started practice. I had the day circled on my calendar. Even if tryouts started outside in the snow, I would have been there. But they started in the gym, because it was too cold for outside baseball.

As I look back walking through the corridors of school on that first day of tryouts I was in a baseball befuddlement. I was like a baseball zombie. How would I hit today? Would I hit? How would I look? Would I trip over myelf? Hello. I did not want to embarrass myself. After school was where the phase of the daze turned into the hits and the mitts.

"Lets limber up those arms boys..." I heard Mr Ginsburg say, as he strolled out of his office. The coach had spoken. It was time to get movingl. My time to show them all what I had was here.

So I started playing catch. I was so excited to have a glove on and playing ball. The winter is always too long when you thirst to be playing baseball.

After tossing the pill around for a while it was time to hit. We had no pitching machine so we improvised. Now get this. The gym at Weequahic High had a regular sized basketball court. On both sides of the court there were two more basketball baskets. From each basket a rope was tied that hung to a height of about three to four feet above the floor. Got the picture? Attached to the end of the rope was a baseball. The rope went through the ball and out the other side of the ball. It was my turn to hit the baseball into the mat that was positioned up against the wall, under the basket. The ball hung about two feet from the mat.

I was nervous as I heard the coach tell us what to do. So simple a concept. Hit a ball into a mat. What if I messed up? Would I be cut so quickly?

Batting was it for me. If I couldn't hit this somewhat stationary ball - I should rest my bat in the bat rack forever. Fat chance of that happening. I hit the ball so hard the sound it made hitting the mat had everyone in the gym looking at me. Boom. I can still hear the echoes in the gym. My friend patted me on the back. and told me what a great job I did. I was relieved. Let’s move on to day two.

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Article Source : Pg. 52

About Author

Both Daniel Davis & Aron Wallad are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Daniel Davis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mobile Phone Reviews, Government Grants and Computers and The Internet. Daniel Davis contributes to several web magazines, on and theme. Daniel Davis's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.

Aron Wallad has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cure Anxiety, Diabetes Treatment and Marketing. The great game of baseball. What could be better? Loving the game of baseball for Aron Wallad has been a job of joy for a long time. For over 45 years he has followed the game by coaching, watching games, reading stories and checking player’s stats.. Aron Wallad's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.