March is an exciting time of year at schools throughout the United States.

We’re in the midst of March Madness, a time when sports teams try to make the state tournament. There’s always the possibility of a state championship.

March Madness is often associated with the NCAA basketball tournament, but it’s an important time for high schools as well. When parents, classmates and people from the community cheer on their athletes, it’s a great way to demonstrate support for the school and for teenagers.

It’s a time to recognize the importance of all school activities, both athletic and non-athletic. They all provide opportunities for students to learn.

It’s fine that athletes play sports. It’s also good however, if they take part in at least one activity that’s not a sport. We need to consider what those activities have to offer.

With sports, it’s only possible to play in volleyball, basketball or softball leagues until someone’s about 40 years old.

A musical instrument or choral singing can become a hobby that lasts a lifetime. Speech is a way to develop communication skills that can be helpful in situations that range from business meetings to wedding receptions. A play is a chance to act or crew in a production with the help of a director and classmates.

The main thing is for teenagers to be in something of some sort when it comes to activities. Many juniors and seniors pull back on activities in order to work. They want money for car expenses or for college.

There’s a need for balance. It should be possible to fit at least one activity into a work schedule. Employers should be flexible enough to allow that.

Youth sports have changed greatly since I was growing up in the late 20th century. Our elementary school age teams had T-shirts rather than uniforms. We didn’t have any trophies. We didn’t have traveling teams.

I don’t know if the changes are good or not. I really don’t. I’m not a parent, so I haven’t seen firsthand what children experience by taking part in the more structured programs.

I think it comes down to how the kids feel about it. If they think all the extra features are fun it’s a good thing. On the other hand, if they feel pressured to play and it’s not fun anymore they should drop the sport and find another type of activity.

It’s too bad if someone has success in activities and then later thinks of high school as the highlight of their life. It could be easy to do if they end up working at a mundane job that they do for the paycheck.

There are good opportunities that come later. High school is a stepping stone toward those opportunities, a chance to develop skills and gain knowledge that will pay off.

I have a saying on my desk at home that says how education isn’t just a preparation for life, it’s life itself. Learning never has to stop. It should continue on a daily basis with reading, keeping track of the news and going to educational community events.

It would be a good thing if we can translate the enthusiasm for March Madness into support for entire activity programs.

School district budgets can vary greatly from one year to the next. When there’s a deficit, it’s time to take a stand that keeps the essential elements of education intact. That includes school activities.

If there’s a choice between avoiding cuts in activities or avoiding a tax increase I would hope the voters would be willing to pay higher taxes. There’s nothing more important than kids.

Activities encourage teenagers to be their best. They aren’t graded. There’s no pass or fail. It just comes down to the fact that they’ll get out of it in relation to the effort they invest.

As we enjoy March Madness, we should think about the many ways school activities can serve all students. They can offer something for everybody, a way that every teenager can excel at things for which they have talent.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and

contributor to the Marshall Independent