Time, especially time outside of work or school, is precious because of how limited it is.  Thus, one’s time should only be spent on activities that can benefit one the most.  Of the many good activities outside of school, though, the extracurricular activity that I believe it is best to dedicate time to is figure skating, or more specifically, competitive solo figure skating which is figure skating with only one skater performing on the ice.  However, as the number of figure skaters is few and decreasing, it is apparent that most people do not believe that figure skating is worth spending their resources on.  I believe that this is a mistake and that more people should do competitive figure skating because of the feeling of doing it, the exercise it provides, and the discipline it imparts; together these make it the best extracurricular activity.

     The first reason why figure skating should be considered the best extracurricular activity, and thus why more people should do it, is the unique feeling of ice skating that is arguably better than those of other activities.  Due to the cold rink environment of figure skating along with the nature of the sport, figure skating feels refreshing to both the mind and body despite the rigor involved.  Also, when skating fast or performing some of the more difficult elements, figure skaters can experience a wonderful sense of freedom that is not present in most other activities.  Finally, figure skating can be extremely enjoyable and is increasingly fun as skaters reach higher levels.  While most other extracurricular activities can be considered fun too, I believe that figure skating is among the most enjoyable of them.

     The second reason why more people should figure skate is that it is a great form of exercise.  There are two forms of exercise in figure skating: on-ice skating and off-ice conditioning.  Both are equally important for competitive figure skaters and both involve vigorous physical activity.  Though people may prefer leisurely and academics-related activities since, as many of these do not involve physical activity, they may require less physical effort, the fact that figure skating involves exercise makes it far more beneficial.  The reasons for this are that activities that require less effort will not teach discipline as well and can encourage laziness while exercise can lead to a healthy body.  Physical health can lead to a healthier mind, so having a healthy body is also important for those whose ultimate goals and/or future careers do not require one.  Furthermore, people with poor physical health are more likely to suffer from or struggle with illnesses and malaise which may hinder people’s efforts towards their ultimate objectives even if these problems are not too serious, fatal, or detrimental to people’s lives or careers.  While suffering from ailments, people are less likely to perform their tasks as well as they would like or expect to and are often forced to spend time on recovery that could have been used on other useful or necessary activities.

     The final reason why figure skating is the best extracurricular activity to dedicate time to is that it teaches good discipline along with other important values, skills, and such.  In my opinion, this is the most important reason since it is the one that makes figure skating a truly exceptional activity for everyone.  Figure skating teaches discipline and related values through the fact that figure skaters have to wake up early in the morning to face the cold, follow a strict and consistent schedule, carefully follow the directions of experienced coaches, avoid laziness, and learn to be independent to reach their objectives.  While these are neither the easiest nor the quickest ways to learn discipline, I believe that they together are the most effective method of doing so without negatively affecting mental or physical health.

     Some may argue that figure skating is not good for teaching all important skills and values because it does not involve teamwork, and as learning to work as a team is an important skill in life, team activities with similar benefits in other respects, such as pair skating and synchronized skating (forms of figure skating in which two or more skaters perform at the same time), can be better.  This claim is not entirely correct since solo figure skaters still work in a team, though a somewhat different one.  This team should consist of the coach(es), the skater, the parents, and even friends.  Coordination and cooperation within this team are just as important for figure skating as teamwork is in team activities.  Unlike team sports, however, competitive solo figure skating also teaches athletes to rely on themselves or to be independent instead of constantly having to turn to others for assistance, which is also an important skill that is worthwhile to learn.

     Though I steadfastly maintain that figure skating is the best extracurricular activity, there are many people who will persistently argue that there are other extracurricular activities that are more beneficial, as shown by their popularity.  Nevertheless, figure skating is undoubtedly one of the most beneficial of these activities and as it is best to spend time wisely, figure skating should always be an extracurricular activity that people should consider doing and spending their time on.  If everybody chose to dedicate their time outside of their worklife to figure skating, perhaps we would have a healthier and better disciplined society and the concept of “wasting” time may not have to exist.