Although a classical Christian home education is academically rigorous, you should still make time for meaningful extracurricular activities like sports. In the early childhood years, experiment with a variety of activities so that you can be more intentional in the high school years as you are preparing the transcript. We tried lots of different sports before settling in on their favorites.

My kids have been involved in sports from the preschool years. Meredith started swimming on the local summer swim team, and Connor began playing baseball when they were very young. Not surprisingly, those 2 sports, swimming and baseball, have turned out to be their favorite athletic events. They also tried gymnastics (too tall), volleyball (not tall enough), basketball (really not tall enough), and golf (I’m still hoping they’ll acquire a passion one day…Connor seems more interested than Meredith…she thinks it’s boring.)

Our culture is obsessed with sports, and although I think sports need to take a back seat to academics, I do see the value of:

• maintaining a fit and healthy body
• learning discipline and patience as skills are gained
• participating with team members
• serving on the sidelines or on the field
• improving mental concentration and physical endurance
• accomplishing difficult goals
• learning how to lose graciously

Both of my kids are athletically confident and competitive, but my greatest joy over the years have been the times when the coaches and parents took me aside and complimented me on how kind, helpful, or mannerly my kids were. My face just beams when I hear these words of praise because I know they are becoming people of influence by living righteously. They are both gifted athletes, but the competition victories are not what is most important — it is their actual day-to-day responses to the challenges of the sport — on the field, in the natatorium, in the dugout, in the locker room — in community — that really matters and has an eternal impact on the lives the Lord has allowed them to influence.

David and I have made an effort to be involved in their sports, too, so that they see us serving. David loves coaching baseball and keeping score while I have been team mom and regularly volunteer to time races and collect admissions at swim meets.

Opportunities for sports involvement can be found by canvasing your local churches (many host Upward activities), municipal recreational leagues, and homeschool cooperatives. Make time in your homeschool schedule for some athletic activities and watch your kids grow in character and skill while influencing the kids and coaches around them.

* * * * *

Want to learn more about how to incorporate extracurricular activities in your home school? Subscribe to The Classical Scholar today and have posts delivered to your email the day that I write them. You’ll also receive my free ebook on the history of classical Christian home education.