Community Recreation & Leisure Services Chapter 3 1 1 - - PDF document

Community Recreation & Leisure Services

• Chapter 3

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Learning outcomes

• Recall insights from professionals working in community recreation leisure services
• Remember key terms, events and people that shaped the development of today’s

community recreation and leisure services

• Recognize and explain the different service sectors in community recreation and

leisure services

• Recognize and explain key themes the provision of community recreation and

leisure services

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Learning outcomes (continued)

• Recall facts about the passions, pay & perks, possibilities, preparation related to

community recreation and leisure services

• Summarize future opportunities and challenges facing community recreation and

leisure services

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Community recreation & leisure services

• A career for people who want to match community residents with the benefits that

leisure can provide.

• Emphasizes need for:
• Creativity
• Thoughtful planning
• A passion for working with others
• Collaboration with community members & networking with other professionals

when developing community-based programs

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History of community recreation & leisure services

• Open spaces developed into parks near urban centers
• Playgrounds were added with life skills taught during play
• Emphasis on team sports, gardening, hobbies & physical fitness grew as facilities &

services increased during the Great Depression and WWII

• Community recreation services now targeted at specific groups (e.g., youth,

seniors, and people with disabilities)

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Community recreation — Benefits

• Recreation is much more than fun
• Benefits include opportunities for:
• Mental rejuvenation
• Socialization
• Physical activity

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Promoting healthy, livable communities

• Step up to Health Movement
• Provide places to play and exercise
• Partner with public health agencies
• Host community health events
• Active recreation programs
• Targets specific populations
• Seniors ➤ Senior games
• Inclusive recreation ➤ Adapted sports

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Community youth services & positive youth development

• Risk behaviors often occur between 2:00 -7:00 PM
• Recreation programming in this timeframe may reduce frequency of such

behaviors

• Recreation programs foster positive behaviors & development

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Site-based youth programming

• Occurs in the community, outside planned programs and dedicated rec facilities
• May be led by “roving leaders” working with youth directly in their neighborhoods

to develop positive social values

• Recreation services may be coupled with academic enrichment activities in satellite

facilities or in dedicated rec / education facilities

• Depends on multi-disciplinary perspective that situates recreation in a larger

context of community services (e.g., schools, social work, health services)

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• PAY & PERKS
• Very variable
• Opportunities for advancement

within your agency

Careers in community recreation & leisure services

• PASSIONS
• Social interaction
• Serving your own community
• Working for ALL residents

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• Preparation:
• Baccalaureate degree in recreation
• Supporting training in business, fitness, gerontology, family

studies, or public administration

• Seasonal, part-time, or volunteer at agencies — get known!

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Careers in community recreation & leisure services

• Employment opportunities expected to remain stable
• Especially true in Illinois given existence of independent park districts, forest

preserves, conservation districts, etc.

• Career possibilities:
• Recreation programmer
• Youth sports leader
• After-school / teen center director
• Facility manager
• Senior recreation programmer
• Inclusive recreation programmer

✤ Special recreation associations independent or affiliated with park districts & municipalities

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Recreation programmer

• Passions: Strong desire to work dircectly with people, belief in & commitment to

benefits of community recreation services

• Pay & perks: Vary widely, employment may be part-time, seasonal, of full-time
• Professional preparation:
• Part-time & seasonal: High school or associate’s degree; age requirements may

apply

• Seasonal & full-time: Advanced seasonal & full-time positions require

baccalaureate degree plus work experience

• Employment possibilities: Suburban & urban communities, in Illinois also in more

rural park districts

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Youth sports & athletics

• Passions: Working directly with youth, love of sports & coaching/instructing, league

management, facility management

• Pay & perks: Entry level comparable to other community-based service personnel;

advancement to mid-level (e.g., supervisor of athletics) & senior management possible

• Professional preparation: Baccalaureate degree with work in youth sports,

recreational sport management, or youth leadership

• Employment possibilities: Varies from seasonal to full-time, opportunities greater in

suburban & urban areas

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After-school & teen centers

• Passions: Working directly with children or teens, making positive contributions to

their physical, social, emotional & intellectual development

• Pay & perks: Part-time & seasonal positions available to college students looking for

work experience, full-time positions generally require baccalaureate degree

• Professional preparation: Specialized coursework in youth development,

developmental psychology, grant writing, possibly nonprofit administration

• Employment possibilities: All three sectors, growing nonprofit & public interest in

youth development

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Facility management

• Passions: Taking charge, making things happen, problem solving
• Pay & perks: Variable by degree of responsibility, size & complexity of facility,

number of facilities & employees supervised, individual experience level

• Professional preparation: Baccalaureate degree in recreation, facility management,
• r other appropriate field depending on facility type (e.g., outdoor or natural areas

may require natural sciences); senior management may require master’s degree or

• ther advanced training
• Employment possibilities: Suburban & urban areas experiencing population &

economic growth (e.g., southern/southwestern/northwestern regions in U.S.), some mid-size cities in mid-Atlantic and central mid-West; look for new construction & renovation of existing facilities

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Senior recreation

• Passions: Interest in & appreciation of older adults, their diverse experiences &

histories

• Pay & perks: Entry-level positions include program design & supervision
• pportunities, mid-level & senior positions include employee supervision &

management responsibilities

• Professional preparation: Baccalaureate degree in recreation, supporting work in

gerontology/aging studies, psychology

• Employment possibilities: Likely to expand during next twenty years, all three

sectors involved, some facilities becoming more targeted in their service populations, need exists everywhere

• Greatest occupational risk: Winding up in the facility where my wife puts me

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Inclusive recreation

• Passions: Enabling people, working with diverse popuations, creativity & flexibility,

commitment to universal design & adaptive programming, interest in adapted sports & community integration

• Pay & perks: Varies depending on nature of employment, educational background &

professional certification/licensure (e.g., Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

• r Licensed Recreational Therapist)
• Professional preparation: Baccalaureate degree in recreation with emphasis in

therapeutic recreation or directly in therapeutic recreation, appropriate supporting coursework

• Employment possibilities: Residential and daycare facilities, clinical settings,

nonprofits, community TR growing (the Special Recreation Associations in Illinois)

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Future opportunities, issues & challenges

• Trends to note:
• Promoting healthy & active lifestyles
• Meeting the needs of increasingly diverse populations
• Interdisciplinary collaborations & partnerships
• Senior programs on the rise

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Getting involved

• Nationally
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) (www.nrpa.org)
• American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

(AAHPERD) (www.aahperd.org)

• Other more specialized organizations abound
• Illinois
• Illinois Association of Park Districts (agency memberships only) (IAPD)

(www.ilparks.org/default.asp?)

• Illinois Park & Recreation Association (IRPA) (connect.ilipra.org/home)
• Department of RPTA
• Student Recreation Society, HELP & other opportunities

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In Review

• Benefits of community recreation that are frequently described include
• Improving the environment
• Providing opportunities for social engagement
• Reducing the risk of various diseases
• All of the above

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In Review

• During what hours are youth most likely to engage in risk behaviors
• At lunchtime
• After school
• Late evening
• Around midnight

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In Review

• Which of the following is an example of resilience?
• Seeking out positive opportunities despite difficult circumstances
• Stopping playing the piano when you are teased
• Competing in weight training and aerobic exercises
• Waking up early after a long day

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In Review

• Which of the following degree areas/minors are recommended to supplement a

Bachelor’s degree if you want to work in community recreation and leisure services?

• Business
• Youth and Family Studies
• Public Administration
• All of the above

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