When activities are considered to fall outside of academic instruction and as something separate and additional to the academic outcomes of the school, they become EXTRA-CURRICULAR. When a school community accepts and recognizes the contribution of activities as contributors to the academic development of the student, activities become CO-CURRICULAR.

It is our contention at Values Based Basketball that Academics and Athletics in partnership have the ability to foster positive intellectual, physical, and social growth of both the individual and the community. With a focus on doing what is best for the individual student-athlete, neither academics nor athletics should be more valued than the other. Rather both must serve a supporting role to the other in the pursuit of excellence on the sports field, in the classroom, and in life. The key is for program and school administrators to connect the dots between the educational mission, values and curriculum outcomes of to the mission, values, and outcomes of an athletics program.

As any well run after school program is focused on developing both disciplinary and trans-disciplinary skills within those attending, connecting mission, values, and outcomes is actually not that difficult. In fact, this cooperative process is likely to have many benefits in the development and provision of not only a complete program, but a complete education of the whole child.

The Co-Curricular framework created and provided by Chris McCallum is a practical example of how these connections can be achieved within the context of an International Baccalaureate school.