chapter 1 Power, Promise, Potential, and Possibilities of Parks, Recreation, & Leisure

Depth and Breadth of the Parks and Recreation Field Activities and pursuits are everywhere, touching the lives of everyone 24 hours a day 7 days a week 52 weeks a year Inclusive of all people In all points of the globe An ever growing economic force Aspect of life that is central to human existence

Benefits Derived Adequate clean air and water to sustain life Opportunities to live purposeful and pleasurable lives Memories of happy times with friends and family Options and opportunities for health and well-being over the life span

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure: Everywhere, Everyone, All the Time Leisure takes place in cities and towns, small villages, the countryside, and mega- urban centers. Leisure experiences occur both inside buildings and outdoors or sometimes both. Leisure can be found in all the places and spaces in which people gather to play, enjoy, and relax.

It’s for Everyone Leisure touches the lives of everyone: all ages, life stages, cultures, social classes, and genders. Recall personal experiences or observations of others and identify the people participating. What is your memory of those involved?

Examples of ALL the Time Ski areas open at first light. Health clubs open at 4:30 a.m. Heavily industrialized communities offer adult leagues and activities to accommodate the traditional 3 shifts of factory work. City of Las Vegas offers unusual times for programs and activities because many residents work shifts in the casinos, which operate 24/7. YMCAs and community centers offer sleepovers for children while providing respite for parents. Midnight basketball puts recreation on the 24- hour timetable.

Parks and Recreation: It Makes Up Most of Our Time Consider this... Approximately 8 hours of every day is spent sleeping. Work, school, and related activities such as chores and errands or homework might consume 8 hours per day. Taking into account individual variations, leisure time could amount to more than one- third of a person’s life.

Values and Benefits of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure General category—3 types of benefits Improved condition Prevention of a worse condition Realization of a psychological experience (Bev Driver, 1998)

Benefits Described the benefit of recreation is to ameliorate this conditionImproved condition. In the case that a human, natural, or economic factor is not functioning at full capacity or is functioning in a deleterious manner, the benefit of recreation is to ameliorate this condition. value of parks and recreation is to stem further erosion or deterioration of a human, natural, or economic condition.Prevention of a worse condition. Not every instance of poor performance or threatening conditions can be improved. The value of parks and recreation is to stem further erosion or deterioration of a human, natural, or economic condition. (continued)

Benefits Described (continued) Benefits such as stress reduction, sense of control, and spirituality are examplesRealization of a psychological experience. Leisure pursuits that people select for the intrinsic values afforded through the experience. Benefits such as stress reduction, sense of control, and spirituality are examples.

Segmentation of Benefits Benefits segmented into 4 categories: 1.Individual. Opportunities for living, learning, and leading full and productive lives as well as avenues for people to experience purpose, pleasure, health, and well-being 2. Social. Opportunities to live and interact with friends, families, work or school groups, neighbors, communities, and the world (continued)

Segmentation of Benefits (continued) 3. Environmental. Sustaining human life and protecting the ecosystem through the preservation and protection of open space. 4. Economic. Enhancing the viability of people and places by serving as an investment in the future, rather than a mere expenditure in the present

Group Discussion : Group Discussion : Subject: “Unobligated Time” Human beings spend well over one-third of their lives experiencing unobligated timePeople sleep between 6 and 8 hours every day and work or go to school for another 8 hours a day during the week. Although the number of hours consumed by sleep as well as the exact requirements of daily living vary from person to person, one thing is certain: Human beings spend well over one-third of their lives experiencing unobligated time. –Consider the following: How much unobligated time do people have? (Hint: Think in terms of have-tos and want-tos; be objective.) What do people normally do with the remaining time? How can you reprioritize to have more time available for leisure?

Why Parks and Recreation As a Professional Career Choice? A variety of career opportunities are associated with an essential aspect of human behavior and are a major component of the economy. They create opportunities for the following: Personal growth Empowerment Sense of purpose Resourcefulness on the part of the professionals in that field!

Qualities and Characteristics of the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Profession Variety of settings Avoidance of burnout Less formal settings Creativity in approaches Continual changes Early career responsibilities Resourcefulness

Can We Make a Difference... In the life of one person or even a group of people By contributing to the vitality and viability of a community By protecting nature and preserving cultural and historic sites

Playground Discussion: Playground Discussion: Subject: “Can we make a difference?” On a piece of paper answer the following questions: –What are the possible differences parks and recreation make in people’s lives? –Does the parks and recreation profession have unique qualities that other professions do not offer, if so what are they?

Unique Qualities of Parks and Recreation People are empowered to voluntarily choose how they will use their own un- obligated time. Fun is fundamental to attracting people to activities and options that are intrinsically valuable to individuals, friends, families, neighborhoods, communities, and society.

Playground Discussion: Playground Discussion: Subject: ‘What if’ –What if it were was an aspect of life so central to human existence that people spent more time engaged in this critical life pursuit than working or attending school combined? –What if there were a category of the economy that accounted for substantial expenditures and appeared to be an ever-growing economic force? –What industry would that be? What is its focus? –What might be the variety of career opportunities associated with this field?

Any Questions? Be sure to Look over the course website: Read the course syllabus (also on the website) Read chapters 1 & 2