Extracurricular activities (EAs), also commonly referred to as after-school activities or out-of-school time activities, have been identified as a critical contributor to support physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health across the life span. There are two ways in which EA participation supports long-term adjustment. First, participation during childhood and adolescence provides opportunities to build important personal assets and community resources needed to set individuals on a positive developmental trajectory into and through adulthood. Second, participation in EAs during childhood and adolescence is related to continued pursuit of participation in healthy leisure activities throughout adulthood, providing a continued outlet to support physical, social, psychological, and cognitive health.

The term EA typically refers to a broad range of organized, supervised activities that are offered outside the regular school curriculum ...