Continuation of extracurricular sports activities contributes to higher physical fitness and maintaining academic performance

Improving physical fitness and academic performance is an important issue for youth internationally. Few studies have examined the longitudinal relationship between extracurricular activities, physical fitness, and academic performance by gender, including not only sports clubs but also culture clubs. This study examines the longitudinal relationship between extracurricular activities, physical fitness, and academic performance in adolescents. A total of 847 adolescents (443 boys and 404 girls) participated. They were classified into four groups (culture or sports club to nonparticipants, continue nonparticipants, continue culture club, and continue sports club) based on their affiliation with extracurricular activities in Grades 7 and 9. The longitudinal relationship between extracurricular activities (independent variable) and physical fitness or academic performance (dependent variable) was analyzed using binomial logistic regression. For both boys and girls, being in the “continue sports club” group was more related to high 20 m shuttle run in Grade 9 than being in the “culture or sports club to nonparticipants” group was. In addition, for both boys and girls, the “continue sports club” and “continue culture club” group had higher academic performance in Grade 9 in Japanese language, social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign languages when compared with those in the “culture or sports club to nonparticipants” group. In conclusion, extracurricular sports activities in adolescence contribute toward higher cardiorespiratory fitness and maintaining academic performance. Educators need to recognize the importance of extracurricular sports activities as an option for the favorable growth and development of adolescents.