OPINION: When weighing options, pick clubs over sports

With the end of the year soon approaching, rising high school students are planning what out-of-class activities to participate in for next year. Posters will be hung up all over school  at the start of the year to sign up for everything from Key Club to Robotics Club, ready to welcome new members. Also, sports teams are constantly looking for possible recruits before the start of the season, and will often work around schedules for interviews and training.

So which looks better on a resume? A leading membership in a club or a captain of a school sports team? Many colleges would probably look at a sport over a club, but I personally feel club experience will better prepare students for a serious work environment.

Athletics are incredibly beneficial, of course; there’s no denying that being an athlete not only helps your chances of getting into school but also prepares you to handle the tasks and responsibilities of collegiate life.

“Both extracurricular activities and sports are very important,” Football coach and History teacher Christopher Benacquista said. “They both teach social skills, but in my eyes, sports are better because they help students develop more physically.”

Sports are important from a team-building and physical aspect. Athletes are able to learn how to communicate with others and work as a team to accomplish a common goal, which is to win the game/match.

On the other hand, not all students have the physical or athletic capabilities to play sports, and clubs are a good social alternative. They teach the same teamwork skills, but without the physical exertion.

CAD teacher and Robotics club adviser Tim Shea said both sports and clubs hold great benefits for students, and offering young people options for their futures is vital. “Both are very important,” Mr. Shea said. “Students need physical activity to be good students, and clubs like Robotics are important because not all kids are athletic, it’s more of a mental activity. Clubs give more students an option of what to do outside of class.”

As a recommendation to underclassmen, you can do both sports and clubs, but clubs will most likely have a better effect on your resume and your future, as they will give you experience in working with people and running an organization. Sports look good getting into college, but may not help you much past that point, unless you plan on going into the big leagues. Employers will most likely look at extracurricular activities rather than sports.