I noticed that two of the sports that I love are not adequately represented in my community. I started to question and finally decided I wanted know why this was. I wanted to research why certain extracurricular activities are more popular than others. At a time in our society where bullying, peer pressure, and depression are more commonplace among our youth, many may want to participate in the "most popular" activities to try and fit in. I believe kids need to understand that it does not matter what extracurricular activity they pursue, even if it has the stereotype of a girl/boy activity, if it makes them happy then it doesn't matter. Improved self-confidence is more likely to follow if they enjoy what they are doing. I wanted to emphasize that by engaging in activities that are right for them, whether "popular" in the eyes of their peers or not, they will be more motivated to improve and practice, regardless of small failures along their growth path. This path will lead to improved self-confidence.
|
|
So... What Does Self-Confidence Have To Do With Activities Youth Participate In?
Self-confidence is fueled by the motivation and desire to work hard and have fun practicing and learning how to improve one’s skills to achieve one’s goals. Youth may not have the “right skill set” to succeed in the specific activity and may not derive enjoyment from participating. Further research studies show that a lack of motivation or love of an activity can have a negative impact on self-confidence. I wanted to bring awareness to this issue in hopes that there will be an increased movement towards doing what you love, as it gives your confidence a shove! The lasting benefits to those that follow this path in their lives and have higher confidence are a higher likelihood of facing career challenges and life challenges with a positive attitude, without the fear of failure. |
My Event
I will be holding a free event on September 16, 2017 that will allow participants to be exposed to three new activities they may have never tried before. These will include volleyball, track and field, and bocce. There will also be a discussion at the end of the event reviewing the importance of self-confidence. With my project, I want to educate youth on the various options in the community for extracurricular activities and the importance of participating in activities that they want to participate in, not necessarily the ones their peers feel they should. Again, it is not to encourage youth to change their current activities, but to enlighten them and the community on the multitude of activities youth have available that are capable of fulfilling each participant's individual goals. It will be geared toward providing youth with the understanding that they do not have to follow all the trends engaged in by their peers in order to feel accepted. |