My D has been out of high school for 11 years. In HS, she played volleyball, which she still will do if it is being played at a party. She was very involved in Habitat for Humanity is both HS and college but has not volunteered with them since college. She sang in choirs and just for herself - she still sings & accompanies herself on the guitar … no choirs right now, although she does hope to find a contemporary church choir to sing in down the road. She also worked a lot - which she is still doing. At this point, she is focusing her time on building her career, setting up her new home, and spending time with her new husband. She volunteers for her alma mater, as well (alumni interviews - quite a few of them each year!).
My older son did Academic Team and Science Olympiad, but spent most of his time playing video games and teaching himself stuff to do on the computer. He still does the latter, but not the former. Younger son played violin, made origami earrings, was on the literary magazine and did Science Olympiad. He doesn’t do any of that stuff now. In his free time he hikes, goes to the gym, reads, plays video and board games, and watches a fair amount of TV.
Ha! I was a baton twirler in HS (even captain of the squad!). I did not participate in college, needing to spend my extra hours working. Sadly, I have not found many majorette opportunities in the adult world. So my answer is no, although I did teach my own kids some basic moves.
In high school, my most important extracurricular was training and organizing a large group of my fellow high school students to teach elementary school students about drugs using a curriculum I created.
Fast forward to now: I am a curriculum director who writes curriculum with teachers, provides professional development for teachers, and supervises teachers at the elementary school level. Most years of my career before that were spent as an elementary school principal.
So my main extracurricular achievement foreshadowed my career!
I was a gymnast. So no, I didn’t continue that - although I did take an adult gymnastics class for a while when I was 35!!! I can barely do a cartwheel at 56.
Another of my EC’s was that I was in the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) for two summers during HS/College. I got my degree in Forestry and was a professional Forester for 30 years.
I’ve definitely done more “EC’s” as an adult. As I obviously like the outdoors, I’ve continued to do stuff like hiking, rafting, skiiing, snorkeling, etc. Lately, I’ve been into bird watching.
In HS and college I wasn’t involved at all in any service activities, but as an adult I participated in eight volunteer projects in foreign countries helping needy/orphaned children.
I’ve attempted to learn to play the trumpet, guitar, and drums (without much success). I make hand painted walking sticks. I’ve coached my kids’ sports teams. I’ve played softball, tennis, and golf. I like to travel and read.
My parents were big on lifetime sports so yes, I still do those things, albeit not at the competitive level I did when I was in high school and college and not as much as when the boys were at home for competition, as a 60 something. The music I still do for myself, only the piano, and don’t participate in any bands or orchestras with the other instruments I mastered and generally then generally only when I’m alone in the house. I no longer dance…gave it up at 27 because my feet were just a mess and I was heavier than when I was a young one. I was a busy young one thinking back. Great college applications back in the day LOL.
I still enjoy raising houseplants/gardening. And I still love cats. I can no longer sprint 100 meters, though. My joints are bad. A brisk walk is all I can manage. My main EC in high school and college was working. Still doing that.
In my dreams I’d be working on the instruments I played in my teens, flute and recorder. Just like momofthreeboys, I now play only when alone in the house! But I have learned other instruments in the interim, and sing better than I did then, which I do with groups of friends at times.
I was marching against the war in my teens and still participate in demonstrations for similar issues. Sigh.
Living in a different part of the country, I can’t hike much, but have replaced that with biking.
The question makes me realize that my goals for retirement involve returning to some of those same activities that I enjoyed as a teen.
The other question is whether our offspring are still involved in their extra curricular activities. It is gratifying to see that the high school passion for a variety of interests has translated to an adulthood that is filled with interesting pursuits, even if the focus has changed.
I did Speech and Debate, making both States and Nationals my senior year.
I coached it for 18 years as a teacher.
And I have 3 teens. So I give plenty of speeches, and debate on a pretty much daily basis.
I’m still a church organist (started at almost 15), and still play piano but not nearly as much as when I was a teen.
I ran cross country & played tennis in HS, way back in the late 70s. I don’t do either one now. I am still physically active, though.
This question really highlights that your EC’s should be something you really enjoy doing so that you get a “head start” on a sport or activity you enjoy and can continue for the long run.
I sing now in a big chorus but didn’t do it in high school which ultimately kept me out of enjoying it in college.
I did learn tennis in college and continued that for many years in community leagues afterwards.
I wish I had picked up some golf lessons along the way.
I learned long ago I make a great long distance runner–I just hate it!
I played basketball constantly through HS, intramurals and rec leagues in college and after but played less over the years and finally stopped completely in my 40s. I ran XC one year in HS (because the bball coach required it) and was on the track team, but didn’t run aside from that. I didn’t start running for fun until I was in graduate school (late 20s). I still run.
I, too, was a gymnast, and also on the drill/dance team. I did end up with a gymnast kid and did all the car pooling, does that count? I joined an adult class in my 30s and was able to do so many things I could do in my teens: “why don’t people stay with Gymnastics,” she said. “It’s so fun,” she said. Then I dislocated my knee & partially tore my ACL with a simple slip on the bars No more gymnastics for me, but the HS dance thing segued through aerobics, and jazzercise, and pilates, and yoga. I could still do the splits, cartwheels, head & handstands, etc. in my 50s and it all felt great when I was doing it; however, later my hips would ache. I guess I am too old to stretch that much! I am still physically active every single day though with less intensity than the old days.
My athlete kid has been active since her toddler days, including university, grad school and first job were such intensive time sucks, it would not have been fair to join any sort of team league, but there have been rec games, climbing gym, yoga, etc. I am pretty sure physical activity will be a constant. Both of my photographer kids are still into it, not that they use a darkroom, but they certainly make the most of their iPhones and have DSLRs, too.
I did science research (sort of) in high school. My teachers were fantastic about helping me in various ways, from ordering materials and equipment (small scale) that I needed for the project I wanted to do, to advising me about the choice of bacteria to work with, to allowing me to work essentially alone in the prep room one period a day and after school. That would not be possible for a high school student now. This was not an organized research experience. We had to do a science project for biology class, and mine morphed into something multi-year and large scale. So I would not have really though of it as an EC in modern terms (and came up with this second). I am now a scientist, but that’s not exactly continuing an EC, because it is my profession.
In high school, I was on the debate team. There are no adult debate teams of which I am aware–probably there are some, somewhere. However, since I am a university faculty member, essentially every faculty meeting where there is a difference of opinion involves some low-level form of debate.
I was in Latin club. I still enjoy “recreational Latin” from time to time, and am currently learning Spanish via Babbel, Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur Spanish (yes, all). I am interested in other languages, with various levels of capability, going down to virtually none.
I was in math club. I do a lot of math now.
I took piano lessons for two years. I was not in choir, because I have very poor pitch perception and no detectable rhythmic ability. Sample of piano lesson conversation:
Piano teacher: You need to count.
Me: I am counting. (Mentally: One, two . . . and three . . . four, one . . . two.)
Piano teacher: You should count out loud.
Me: crickets (Thinking: I can’t do that, because then I will attempt to “sing” the notes while counting. I will be multiple tones off and your ears will hurt.)
I enjoy listening to music now. I may be at the top of the lowest 25% in recognition of classical music. For me, that is an improvement.