The Leisure Services Environment C H A P T E R 1 The Leisure Services Environment Chapter 1

The Difference Between Leisure and Recreation Time not working Free time Recreation Time playing Pastime

Traditional View of Leisure Services Sports Games Classes Special events Activities

History of Leisure Services London parks Paris parks New York’s Central Park American national parks State parks Park districts

American Urban Park Movement The Central Park Commission was created as a separate governmental unit to avoid the politics of Tammany Hall. Frederick Law Olmsted First superintendent of the Central Park Commission Established landscape architecture as a profession Went on to design Yosemite and other national parks Came to Chicago and helped establish park districts

Urban Recreation Movement Started with YMCA camps and centers Followed by other providers such as Hull House and the Boys Clubs Remained largely separate from the urban park movement until the 1960s

Commercial Recreation Movement Has always existed as the travel, tourism, hospitality, and hotel industry Came to fruition in the 1920s Has come to make up more than 90 percent of all recreation provided in America

Commercial Leisure Services Sector More than 2 million business providers 6.5 million jobs $88 billion in revenues 8.33 percent of the gross domestic product in America (continued)

Commercial Leisure Services Sector (continued) Includes: Hospitality Resorts and gaming Camping and outdoor recreation Travel, tourism, and the cruise industry Movies and entertainment Professional and amateur sports

Nonprofit Leisure Services Nobody knows for sure how many of the 960,000 nonprofit organizations provide leisure services. Estimated to be tens of thousands: Youth sport programs YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs Country clubs and member organizations Service clubs

Tax-Exempt Status of Nonprofits 501(c)(3) organizations: Exist for charitable purposes, such as YMCAs Non-501(c)(3) organizations: Exist to serve the members, such as country clubs and sport teams

Federal and State Government Leisure Services Organizations Federal agencies: National recreation areas National parks National forests Waterways Wildlife refuges (continued)

Federal and State Government Leisure Services Organizations (continued) The 50 state agencies: State park systems Wildlife refuges State recreation areas Waterways Designated hunting areas

County Leisure Services Organizations County park departments County forest preserve districts Regional, multicounty park and recreation districts Wildlife refuges

Local Leisure Services Organizations 87,000 local governments: Municipal park and recreation departments Municipal recreation departments Municipal park departments Special districts School district recreation departments

Managing Leisure Services Organizations in the Three Sectors Similarities Services are sometimes exactly the same. Service skill sets can be similar. Differences Services are sometimes different. Management skill requirements are often different.

Managing Commercial Leisure Services Organizations Profit motive: Increases the focus on the customer Less transparency: Proprietary financial information Marketing approach: Product, price, position, and promotion

Managing Nonprofit Leisure Services Organizations Fundraising is a requirement. Revenue streams and engines must be developed. Managing membership is often important. Providing services to those who can’t pay can be required. More transparency than business must occur.

Managing Government Leisure Services Organizations There is a political dimension to managing. Transparency is almost total. Employees have more rights. Pension protection can be important.

Summary The sectors are different in size. 2 million private-sector leisure services providers Tens of thousands of nonprofit leisure services providers 87,000 government leisure services providers (continued)

Summary (continued) Different management skill sets are required. The ability to make a profit in the private sector The ability to raise funds in the nonprofit sector The ability to navigate the political process in the public sector