Having to ferry your child to soccer practice early in the morning on a Saturday might seem like torture, but you’re doing the right thing.

Little Johnny might be fussing and fighting to get his jersey on for the fifteenth time, little Natasha might be doing anything possible not to practice her violin, and little Sammy might be making your life hell not getting out of bed in time for gym practice, but you’re already making a big difference in their lives.

Extra curricular activities do wonders to your child’s development, and aside from the obvious benefits, like promoting fitness and teaching them a new skill, the benefits stay with them all their lives.

Making an effort to see what interests your child and taking the initiative to enrol them in a class will make an unbelievable difference in their lives.

It’s not just about teaching them a sport or an instrument to keep them busy, it’s about teaching them to adhere to a schedule, it’s about promoting social interaction and self esteem, and diversifying their interests.

Countless studies are constantly uncovering new benefits from introducing new skills to children early, whether it be via music, sport or academic studies.
A study from the Northwestern University in Everton, Illinois has found playing an instrument at a young age actually helps children improve their language skills.

Sensitivity to sound patterns correlates with reading skill and the ability to hear speech against background noise.

Nestoras College Greek Language and Cultural School has 92 students enrolled in their music program that teaches everything from your typical flutes and violins to the traditional bouzouki.
They use the program to complement their language program and supplement their history lessons.

With eight concerts a year on the calendar, children are also asked to put what they’ve learnt into practice and perform to a live audience.

Someone who has seen the benefit of music and performance to early learners is Pegasus Dance Academy’s founder, Sotiris Sotiriou.

Teaching Greek traditional dancing to students for over 26 years, Mr Sotiriou has seen just how important learning dance has been in a child’s development.
“There is no subject, whether it’s English or maths, physics or chemistry, that requires that much concentration and alertness,” he tells Neos Kosmos.

“In Greek dancing you have to hear, you have to think, you have to watch and you have to put your body into motion. So you’re doing four things at the same time.”

It’s a complete work out for the brain, Mr Sotiriou believes, and does wonders for their studies, even if they don’t realise it.
Studies have found being active increases blood flow to the brain, which it needs for focus and alertness.

As an instructor, he’s tailored classes to make sure they’re age appropriate and doesn’t believe in teaching the most popular dances early as parents might expect.

“I get it from parents saying ‘Oh, she’s been coming here for two years and she doesn’t know how to do kalamatiano’ and I tell them first of all, kalamatiano is not one of the easiest dances, and for certain dances they have to mature to their appropriate level and experience,” he says.

Apart from the athletic advantage students get, they are also creating lifelong friendships and learning about their heritage with community members of their age.
Through his time at Pegasus, Mr Sotiriou has seen many students later become couples, and it’s something he takes a bit of pride in when they come to him to learn dances for their wedding.

Performing to a live audience is also one of the most important life lessons children can receive. Dealing with nerves and performing under pressure is paramount in any life situation, and many children first battle these problems in extra curricular activities.
Mr Sotiriou says he works hard on making sure each group feels ready and confident to hit the stage for the first time. “So they can build that confidence, I have to wait to see if they’re ready, not only with the dances but with preparation,” he says.
That confidence is also transferred to the pitch if a child picks up a community sport.
At Bentleigh Greens Soccer Club, their juniors are taught drills and are put into training every week to make sure their game day performance is up to scratch.
Through the fun of kicking a ball around, they’re being taught how to be an integral part of a group and help out teammates to achieve a combined goal.
Even outside the game and the routine of training, the young players are being taught how to be reliable and consistent.

“We’re disciplining the children to make them understand that this is what you have to wear at training, this is what you have to wear at game day, you have to bring you shin pads, you have to bring your soccer ball with you as well and don’t forget you water bottle,” Bentleigh Greens’ junior coordinator Tony Tsiakos tells Neos Kosmos.

He believes over time, the children sometimes become more reliable than their parents.
Being part of a group also helps children come out of their shell, and forces them to interact in a way they might not be used to outside of the school ground. They’re not pushed into talking, but rather develop their voice as they start to call for the ball from their teammates.
“A lot of children are quite shy when they start, but when they realise, hey, this is pretty cool, they come out of their shell,” Mr Tsiakos says.
He’s seen first hand how much playing soccer can help children bridge the awkward gap and create lifelong friends in the process.
When there is a goal, like winning a match or getting up the top of a ladder, an extra curricular activity can also help a child with developing a way to deal with failure.
No parent wants to see their child saddened by a loss or get angry over a failed pursuit, but learning from mistakes is the best possible experience for a child when developing.
In a group environment, dealing with failure is much softer on a child.

Mr Tisakos has seen young players gather together after a loss and console each other in quite a mature way.

“When you reach a certain age, you always want to win,” he says. “But what we encourage at a junior level is, whether you win, lose or draw, we are always happy people, we always keep a smile on our faces. There’s always next time.”

Many extra curricular activities also help improve self esteem in children, especially teenagers who are going through tough social periods in their lives.
They are given another space to talk about problems that isn’t in the setting of a classroom, and for young men who might feel uncomfortable talking about their issues, having something like a soccer ball to hit around can help.

Also encouraging a hobby that your child is interested in and not forced into will encourage their creativity and help them decide on what they would like to pursue as a career option.

Being able to control something from start to finish, like building a model plane or writing a blog, teaches perseverance and follow through.

Understandably, the cost of sending your child to an extra curricular activity might be a weight, but there is no arguing how much a child will benefit from taking up a hobby they actually like.

Doing a bit of research on what extra curricular activities your community and council offers and getting your child to trial the ones they like can be a great start.