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Recreational Sport
Program Design, Delivery, and Management
by Robert J. Barcelona, Mary Sara Wells and Skye Arthur-Banning
304 Pages
There are more opportunities than ever for employment in recreational sport, which means the need to prepare students with a solid foundation of the design, delivery, and management of recreational sport has never been more critical.
Recreational Sport is designed precisely with that need in mind. This text provides a contemporary perspective of recreational sport management, offering a comprehensive picture of recreational sport management for people in or entering all sectors of recreation and leisure, including public, nonprofit, private, and commercial.
“We saw a need for broad-based recreational sport programming that reflects the myriad of recreational sport activities and opportunities that are out there,” says lead author Robert Barcelona. “To meet those increased needs and interests, people need to have an array of programming and management skills in recreational sport.”
Barcelona and his coauthors help readers gain those skills in part by simplifying the complicated process of designing and delivering programs in various settings in recreation and leisure services. They present a macrocosm view of recreational sport in communities—a view that reflects the most current, application-based research in the field.
Their text places recreational sport squarely in the middle of the recreation and leisure curriculum and is supported by the recreational sport core competencies as developed by Barcelona himself. Those competencies are based on what recreational sport managers need to know and be able to do to grow and succeed in the profession, and they connect with the NIRSA recreational sport competencies developed in 2013.
In addition, Recreational Sport offers the following:
• Coverage for all age groups and sectors in a range of settings and contexts for recreational sport
• International perspectives to offer students great insights into career opportunities
• The latest theory, research, and real-world approaches to help both students and professionals who program sports
• Case studies of real-world issues in recreational sport and examples of theory-to-practice applications
The text comes with an array of online ancillaries that will prove invaluable to both instructors and students. The instructor guide supports and extends the chapter content and offers numerous ideas for learning activities, projects, and topics for papers. It also supplies chapter summaries, glossary terms, and links to websites that contain information for both instructors and students. The test package has multiple-choice, true–or-false, matching, and short–answer questions that can interface with learning management systems, and the presentation package offers a visual overview of the material to help students retain the concepts.
“In teaching recreational sport for many years, I know that students first need to grasp the big picture of recreational sports,” Barcelona says. “We deliver that big picture in addition to information on design, delivery, and management that every student needs to know to succeed, regardless of what recreational sport organization he or she is a part of.”
That big-picture element, along with the cutting-edge information on program design, delivery, and management,, sets this book apart. In the three parts of the book, students will be able to do the following:
• Be grounded in the philosophical concepts that define the field
• Learn about the core competencies they need to know to deliver successful programs and events
• Gain insights about the settings and contexts where recreational sport happens and learn about key ideas, issues, and career opportunities in the field
Recreational Sport is a textbook critical to students’ future success in recreational sport management, offering the big-picture view of the field while offering practical guidance in and real-world examples of successful design, delivery, and management of recreational sport programming.
Part I: Theory, Philosophy, and Foundations of Recreational Sport
Chapter 1: Introduction to Recreational Sport
Chapter 2: Physical Activity and Recreational Sport
Chapter 3: Diversity and Inclusion in Recreational Sport
Part II: Competencies of Recreational Sport Professionals
Chapter 4: Program Planning
Chapter 5: Structured Tournament Scheduling
Chapter 6: Facility Planning and Design
Chapter 7: Financing and Marketing
Chapter 8: Risk Management
Chapter 9: Human Resources Management
Chapter 10: Technology Applications
Part III: Recreational Sport Settings and Contexts
Chapter 11: Recreational Sport in the Community
Chapter 12: Youth Sport
Chapter 13: Campus Recreational Sport
Chapter 14: International Sport Influence on Recreational Sport
Chapter 15: Careers in Recreational Sport
Robert Barcelona, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of New Hampshire’s department of recreation management and policy. He teaches courses in recreational sport management, youth development, and organizational administration and leadership for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Since 1999 Barcelona has worked with numerous recreation and sport organizations in both programming and research efforts. His teaching interests focus on recreational sport management and youth development leadership in school and community-based settings. Barcelona’s research examines recreation and sport as developmental contexts for youth and focuses on the ways that recreation and sport organizations build healthy and sustainable programs and communities. His research has been published in numerous national and international publications, and he has authored several book chapters on recreation and sport management. He is one of the authors for Leisure Services Management.
Barcelona has won teaching excellence awards at both Indiana University and the University of New Hampshire. He is active with youth sport coach training through his involvement with CoachSmartNH, and he is engaged in recreation planning, consulting, and program evaluation projects with community recreation and youth development organizations throughout the United States.
Mary Sara Wells, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of Utah’s department of parks, recreation, and tourism. She teaches courses in youth development, community recreation, and sport management.
Since 2004 Wells has researched sportsmanship issues in youth sport. She has published her research in numerous journals, presented at several national and international conferences, and conducted trainings and evaluations for multiple municipal youth sport agencies across the country.
Skye Arthur-Banning, PhD, is an associate professor at Clemson University in the department of parks, recreation and tourism management. He teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in sport management and sport for development as well as in the core curriculum, and he advises graduate students in amateur sport for community and youth development.
Arthur-Banning’s research focus is in amateur sport and specifically on sport for development, ethical behavior in sport, and sportsmanship as it relates to coaches, players, parents, and referees. He has published in numerous journals and has done work with or presented for various organizations, including the Canadian Coaches Association, United States Soccer Federation, United States Navy Child and Youth Program, and various city, county, and state or provincial recreation agencies across North America and East Africa.
Arthur-Banning has been certified by the NCAA and US Soccer Federation as a national referee emeritus, national assessor, and national instructor. He draws on those amateur and semiprofessional sport experiences. Finally, he has worked with several international sport organizations to organize programs, make connections, and take students on various study-abroad trips using sport as a tool for youth and community development.
Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
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The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
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The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
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The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
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The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
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The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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Professional Development in Campus Recreation
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field.
The administration of campus recreational sport programs and facilities is the work of highly educated and skilled professionals. Professional staff members combine their love of recreation and sport with specialty knowledge in various aspects of the campus recreation field. Depending on their position in the department, staff must have expertise in areas such as officiating, fitness, strength and conditioning, facility design, tournament scheduling, and outdoor skills. In addition to specialty knowledge areas, staff must possess general sport management competencies, including business procedures; marketing, promotions, and communications; technology applications and computer skills; facilities and equipment management; governance; legality and risk management; management techniques; philosophy and sport sciences; programming and event management; and research and program evaluation (Barcelona, 2004). Perhaps most importantly, campus recreation staff must be committed to college student learning and development. They must be able to integrate their programs and services seamlessly with other areas of student life, including residence hall programs, campus health services, Greek life, student union programming, and academic affairs.
If you are interested in a career in campus recreation, there are a number of critical areas to consider as you prepare for your future. Career development in campus recreation encompasses academic preparation, professional involvement in relevant organizations, specialty certifications, and active networking and seeking of career opportunities. Professional development should start now, while you are still in college, and continue throughout your career in the field.
Academic Preparation
A good place to start the career development process is through academic coursework and cocurricular experiences. Campus recreation professionals are highly educated. Virtually all full-time campus recreation professionals have obtained a four-year degree, and a significant majority hold a master's degree. Some even hold doctorates. This is one area of the recreational sport field where a graduate degree is considered an entry-level degree. As you begin to think about your academic career in campus recreation, it is important to consider how you can best position yourself for graduate school and beyond.
Undergraduate Preparation
There is no one ideal major for a student who is interested in a career in campus recreation. Often campus recreation professionals come to the field from a variety of undergraduate majors. For example, the lead author of this textbook has an undergraduate degree in political science. Other campus recreation professionals come from diverse majors, such as business, education, and the various liberal arts.
However, if you are interested in the recreation field, you may have the opportunity to major in recreation management, sport studies, exercise science, or a related field at your school. For example, more than 500 colleges and universities offer degrees in recreation management across the United States and Canada (Rockey & Barcelona, 2012). This is a good place to start in terms of receiving a focused academic degree within the field. If you are interested in fitness and wellness, then exercise science or kinesiology would be good majors to pursue. Some schools offer a focused area of study in campus recreation, such as the recreation studies program at Ohio University, which has long been a leader in this area. Others offer broader undergraduate study in recreational sport management, such as Indiana University. Regardless, choosing an appropriate undergraduate major and working hard in classes is an important first step.
Almost as important as the undergraduate major is involvement outside the classroom. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, co-curricular experiences offered through campus recreation departments are one of the best ways to prepare future recreational sport professionals. Students should get involved early and often in campus recreation activities as participants and, more importantly, as student staff members. Opportunities to work part time as a facility or intramural supervisor, fitness leader, intramural official, lifeguard, or outdoor adventures staff member help provide exposure to the various program areas and facilities in campus recreation. In addition to part-time work, students should try to obtain progressive leadership experience - it is important to build on experiences throughout the undergraduate career. This helps to build a résumé and provide more employment opportunities down the road. Students can also find opportunities for volunteer leadership, such as on student advisory boards. Most accredited recreation and sport management majors require focused practicums and internship experiences as part of the curriculum. These are critical in helping to build professional skills as well.
Graduate Preparation
Graduate school is usually a must for aspiring campus recreation professionals. Most professional staff members in campus recreation hold a master's degree, typically in fields such as recreation management, exercise science, business administration, or student affairs administration. Campus recreation departments often offer graduate assistantships that pay the full cost of tuition plus monthly stipends for living expenses in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in one or more campus recreation programs or facilities. This is an outstanding way for prospective campus recreation professionals to obtain both the education and practical experience that they need to position themselves for their first full-time job.
To be eligible for a campus recreation graduate assistantship, applicants should have strong undergraduate academic records, particularly in the last 60 hours of coursework; acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); have a résumé showing progressive student leadership in some area of campus recreational sport; and have the drive and desire for graduate studies and the field as a whole. Students can find out about campus recreation graduate assistantships by visiting the NIRSA job search website, www.bluefishjobs.com. Typically, graduate assistantship opportunities are advertised in the spring and begin with the new school year in the fall. Interested students are usually advised to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference and Recreational Sports Exposition, usually held in March or April, where they can find out more about available positions. It is not unheard of to interview or actually be offered a graduate assistantship position at the conference. The NIRSA job search website also includes available full-time entry, midcareer, and executive positions in the field.
Involvement in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as NIRSA play a vital role in the development of campus recreation professionals. Involvement in national and, in some cases, state or regional professional associations can provide a number of benefits for professionals, including conferences and workshops, specialty symposia, training resources, access to research, career and job fairs, leadership opportunities, certification, continuing education credits, and, perhaps most importantly, networking opportunities. Most professional organizations offer student memberships at low or no cost and encourage student involvement at conferences. NIRSA offers student leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels, and many states offer Student Lead On conferences that focus on building student leaders in campus recreation.
Although NIRSA is the leader in professional development for campus recreation staff, there are many other professional organizations that students and staff can get involved with in order to supplement their education and development. Organizations for students to consider include the following:
- National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA; www.nirsa.org)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA; www.naspa.org)
- American College Personnel Association - College Student Educators International (ACPA; www.myacpa.org)
- Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE; www.aore.org)
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; www.acsm.org)
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA; www.nsca.com)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE; www.acefitness.org)
- Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA; www.afaa.com)
These and other organizations are vital in promoting professional standards and continuing education for campus recreation staff, and they are excellent vehicles for students to get involved and learn more about their chosen profession.
Certifications
For some jobs in campus recreation, certifications are important or necessary to be hired or to continue employment. Certifications are credentials given by a governing body or professional association that acknowledge a recipient's qualification to perform a specific job. Certifications may be earned after studying and passing an exam, or they may be based on demonstrating practical competence related to a particular job. In many cases, after obtaining certification the recipient must keep up with the latest job requirements by participating in continuing education, often offered through workshops or sessions at professional conferences.
Whether certification is required depends on the specific campus recreation job. For example, most positions in aquatics require certification as a water safety instructor, lifeguard, or pool operator. Many intramural sport positions require professional staff to be certified as sport officials through their local state high school association. Fitness professionals typically must obtain various certifications, including those relating to personal training or group fitness instruction. Outdoor recreation staff typically need to be certified in wilderness first aid and in specific outdoor activities, such as belaying or white-water kayaking.
For more than 20 years, NIRSA offered the Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS) exam, which was a general certification for campus recreation professionals. However, in 2005, the CRSS was suspended, and in 2007 the NIRSA board of directors approved the establishment of the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). The registry was designed to encourage and recognize ongoing professional development in areas critical to campus recreational sport professionals, including philosophy and theory, programming, management, business procedures, facility management, planning and design, research and evaluation, legal liability and risk management, and personal and professional qualities (NIRSA, 2014).
Learn more about Recreational Sport: Program Design, Delivery, and Management.
The Recreational Sport Field
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants.
The recreational sport field can be seen as a subset of both the recreation and leisure and the sport management industries; that is, recreational sport professionals work in jobs that provide sport opportunities for the widest range of participants. Recall our discussion of the foundations of recreational sport back in chapter 1. The philosophy that underlies recreational sport is that of sport for all - a philosophy that speaks to the provision of active, participatory sport experiences. The competencies and skills that underlie the recreational sport field support this philosophy and are common to the various job settings and functions in the field. Job settings are the places where recreational sport professionals work, including the management sector and the type of agency or organization where the job takes place. Job functions are the specific kinds of jobs that recreational sport professionals perform.
As you consider potential jobs in the recreational sport field, remember that there is a tremendous amount of diversity in the various recreational sport settings and job functions. A recreational sport professional could find herself working in educational, community, or business settings doing any number of jobs, such as programming sport tournaments and leagues, managing sport venues and facilities, leading instructional activities, supervising sport staff, planning and marketing sport events, or doing some combination of all these things. The diversity of the recreational sport field is one of the attractive things about it; there is a tremendous amount of choice for job seekers looking to match their skills and interests in sport to particular jobs. However, it can also be challenging because there are so many job avenues to pursue. As you read through the following sections, think about the job settings that are most attractive to you. Also, think about the kinds of jobs that you would be most interested in doing in those settings. Thinking about this now can help you better plan how to frame your academic and practical experiences in the field, thus helping you better position yourself for the recreational sport career that is most attractive to you.
Diverse Job Settings
Recreational sport professionals work in diverse organizations and settings. They are needed in any organization where sport programs are offered to meet the needs of active participants (primarily enjoyment) and enhance a wide range of individual and societal outcomes. As mentioned previously, recreational sport agencies and organizations operate in the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors of the economy, and the philosophies and missions of these organizations often differ depending on which sector they operate in. The terms agencies and organizations are often used interchangeably, including in this book. However, agencies typically are public-sector recreational sport entities, and organizations are typically recreational sport providers in the nonprofit or commercial sectors.
Career settings, the places and contexts where jobs in recreational sport take place, can include the following:
- Municipal and county recreation departments, including adult and youth sport
- Military MWR organizations
- School (PK-12) and college intramural and recreational sport
- Resort sports, such as ski and golf
- Sport facilities and venues, such as arenas, stadiums, and recreation complexes
- Sport and fitness clubs, such as martial arts studios and fitness centers
- Sport councils and sport tourism
- National governing bodies and sport federations
- Community nonprofit agencies, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs
- Sport for people with disabilities
It might be tempting to think that there is a typical recreational sport organization, but think again. The organizations that provide recreational sport opportunities are varied and diverse. Recreational sport activities and programs are offered by municipal park and recreation departments; nonprofit organizations, such as the YMCA; resorts; cruise ships; and colleges and universities through programs such as intramural sport, sport clubs, and campus fitness. Even professional sport leagues and teams offer community-based programs to a wide range of participants. These programs are often used to grow the sport in nontraditional communities. Examples of these initiatives include programs such as the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone initiative or Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.
Recreational sport programs are offered through a variety of organized types, like this private health and fitness club.
© Human Kinetics
Some recreational sport programs are designed specifically to leverage positive developmental outcomes for adult participants. For example, there are Senior Games all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Senior Games use sport and physical activity to focus on a number of strategic outcomes, including helping seniors to lead healthy lifestyles that result in healthy aging, enhanced wellness, and increased quality of life (National Senior Games Association, 2012). At the other end of the age spectrum are organizations that use recreational sport to promote positive youth development. These programs use sport as a tool to engage young people, and they are intentionally planned to promote healthy development and to help youth thrive. Girls on the Run (running) and The First Tee (golf) are examples of recreational sport programs that focus on youth development (Barcelona, Hurd, & Bruggeman, 2011).
Other organizations offer recreational sport opportunities for specific groups of athletes. Northeast Passage, a sport-based recreation program for athletes with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire, provides recreational sport opportunities to clients of all ages and at all levels of the sport development pyramid. For example, an athlete with a disability may start participating in a foundational sled hockey program designed to introduce the game; progress through recreational-focused sled hockey programs designed to foster participation; compete in local, regional, and sled hockey national tournaments; and have the opportunity to train and compete at the highest levels, such as the Paralympic Games.
These are just a few examples of the diverse job settings where recreational sport activities take place. As you investigate more, you may find yourself attracted to a specific job setting, or you may be interested in a number of job settings. If you have an idea about what kind of setting you want to work in, the next step is to think about the kind of job you want to do within that setting.
Diverse Job Functions
Recreational sport professionals are attracted to their jobs because they have the opportunity to be involved in the direct provision of sport opportunities by working closely with participants, volunteers, and paid staff. Job duties tend to be varied and can include programming sport events, designing and maintaining facilities, developing policies, monitoring program budgets, training staff and volunteers, scheduling tournaments, managing risk, and engaging in marketing and promotional strategies. In other areas of the sport industry, such as professional sport management or college athletics administration, sport managers may be focused on a specific task, such as selling tickets or advertising. However, in recreational sport, there are typically multiple opportunities to engage in a wide range of job-related duties.
Recreational sport professionals often need to wear many hats in their jobs. A supervisor of youth athletics in a municipal park and recreation department might need to schedule teams and leagues; develop and monitor a program budget; develop a marketing strategy; hire, train, and schedule staff; handle the media; and engage in program evaluation efforts. Although the scope of job duties will depend on the organization and the specific job, staff working in larger organizations tend to have more specialized job duties, whereas staff in smaller organizations need to demonstrate a wider range of skills.
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The Recreational Sport Profession
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid.
The broader sport industry represents a continuum of sport opportunities, programs, services, and venues ranging from primarily participation focused on one end to primarily performance focused on the other (Coakley, 2004). Figure 1.2 depicts this relationship in connection with the sport development pyramid. Sport management can be defined as the professional career of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling sport events, programs, personnel, and facilities (Barcelona, 2010). Members of the recreational sport profession are sport managers who focus on designing and managing sport programs for the primary purpose of encouraging active participation. Sport management and marketing professionals in other areas of the sport industry focus on managing and marketing sport opportunities for elite athletes or staging events for spectators.
There is certainly some crossover between the two sides of the continuum. Recreational sport professionals may offer programs for elite athletes, such as travel-oriented youth sport clubs, and they may run events that attract spectators, such as road races or national championships. However, the general objective and philosophical orientation of recreational sport is to promote active participation in sport opportunities to the widest possible audience.
Personal and Professional Philosophy
Think back to the opening case study and the earlier discussion about the benefits of sport participation. The empirical evidence - that is, the factual evidence about things that can be measured - showed that participation in softball was declining while participation in kickball was increasing. How empirical evidence is filtered, interpreted, and acted upon, however, is based on a philosophical perspective. Philosophical questions revolve around the pursuit of truth (Lumpkin & Cuneen, 2001). A philosophy encompasses a system of knowledge and beliefs about things - their characteristics, value, relative goodness, and beauty. Philosophical thinking is not a passive, academic exercise disconnected from action or practice; instead, it is the platform for action. When you have developed a sound personal and professional philosophy, it is much easier to solve problems, make decisions, and take action.
It is probably safe to assume that you have already started to develop a philosophy of sport as you have gained knowledge and experience. If this is something that you have not thought about, consider the following questions:
- Why do you participate in sport?
- What do you like about sport? What do you dislike about it?
- What do you believe to be true about sport? What do you value most about sport?
- How have you come to know these things about sport? How certain are you in your beliefs?
- How consistent are you in putting your values of sport into practice?
As a future recreational sport professional, it is important to start thinking about your answers to these questions as you develop your personal philosophy of sport. Remember that your personal philosophies often have an impact on others because philosophies are a foundation for action and decision making (Grecic & Collins, 2013).
Toward a Philosophy of Recreational Sport
The idea of sport for all holds that sport is a human right and should be available to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, economic status, disability, or any other potential barrier (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2012). Think about it - if sport can yield positive benefits for individuals and society, then it stands to reason that these opportunities should be made available to the widest possible audience. This provides a challenge for recreational sport professionals to ensure that they are upholding this standard. Some questions to consider within the sport-for-all framework include the following:
- Are programs accessible to as many people as possible?
- Do existing policies promote or inhibit access to recreational sport programs?
- Are facilities readily available in all neighborhoods and accessible to all participants?
- Are there structural barriers such as money, lack of transportation, lack of child care, inability to speak a certain language, or other factors that limit participation?
It is true that organizations have their own service mandates, and not every organization is designed to meet the unique needs of all people. For example, for-profit recreational sport organizations (and even many nonprofits) primarily serve the needs of paying members. However, recreational sport professionals in these settings can still employ a sport-for-all philosophy by ensuring that programs and facilities are widely accessible to members and that they do their best to promote active participation in sport opportunities. For example, reputable commercial organizations actively comply with public accommodation laws so that patrons with physical disabilities are able to access facilities and be fully included in recreational sport programs. In addition, many private organizations offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to people who are not able to afford their services.
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Programming Philosophies
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community.
Before beginning to plan a program, it is important to have a solid understanding of why the program exists. Organizations should have defined how they are going to operate within the community, what role they are choosing to play within the community, and how that role is designed to improve the lives of people within the community. Particularly in recreational sport programs, organizations are likely to highlight their emphasis on participation, healthy competition, and enjoyment.
Similarly, the community will have an idea of the philosophy of the recreational sport program. It may be to provide adequate facilities, to facilitate affordable programs, or to provide a safe environment for children to participate in. The problem is that sometimes the philosophy of the agency is not consistent with the philosophy of the residents that it is serving.
Why People Choose a Program
With the multitude of programs available in every state and town, understanding why a participant might choose one program over another is important. For example, when it comes to selecting a hockey program, the facilities, the instructor's ability, the customer service, the coach's approach to the sport, the winning percentage, and the cost can all play a role in swaying one participant from program A to program B. Perhaps most important, though, are the mission and philosophy of a program and how those foundational components of a program are expressed in the overall planning of the activities.
More specifically, in the recreational sport setting, there is a move for programs to attempt to distinguish themselves as either recreational or competitive. The benefit is that participants can then make an informed decision about the nature and level of competition they desire in a program as well as the costs and amount of travel and time they want to invest in the activity. The drawback to this type of philosophical approach and subsequent programming is the misperception that competitive means less sportsmanship and youth development and recreational means less skill development and less talented participants.
A recreational sport program can have a philosophy that is extremely competitive and also focuses on skill development and high-level talent. It might simply involve less travel, have shorter seasons, or be more game oriented so participants only have to devote two or three days a week to the sport. Similarly, an elite program can focus on training at a high level but also on youth development, ethical behavior in the activity, respect for opponents, physical fitness, and lifelong fitness behaviors.
This is one example of how a program philosophy (elite or recreational) might attract or detract from a participant's desire to be involved. Clearly, it is critical for recreational sport professionals to clearly define the philosophy of a program. A program that clearly defines what it philosophically represents is much more likely to be successful because it is going to attract participants who more closely align with the philosophy of the organization to begin with.
Program Design
There are three types of program designs that might attract or push participants away from a particular sport program. In the first design, often referred to as the blended program, a variety of offerings are presented within a specific sport league. For example, in a basketball program there might be pickup times, recreational and elite leagues, coaching and training sessions, and various tournament offerings within each of the leagues or even a small-sided tournament such as 3 on 3. The major benefit of the blended design structure is that it offers a variety of programs for a large population in an effort to meet the needs of constituents. However, a negative of the blended program tends to be quality. If an agency is running a variety of programs over the course of a season, it becomes difficult and potentially expensive to run each program well.
The second design type is often referred to as the targeted program, in which a facility focuses on a limited type or number of programs. For example, a facility may choose to run an elite basketball league with a few traveling teams for each age group and then offer pickup basketball. With fewer demands being placed on the facilities, coaches, and financial resources, it is much easier to focus on the one or two types of programs being run and to do them well. Because few programs are being organized, the staffing and financial resources could be closely targeted and the few leagues would be run well. However, the drawback is that the narrow offering of programs targets only one type of participant, therefore limiting the number of customers served.
A third type of program is a tiered program, where people can join a variety of activities at multiple levels of participation with the intent of progressing from one level to the next. In the base or introductory level, participants get a sense of the activity, rules, equipment, and so on for a short amount of time without having to commit to an entire season or spend a lot of money. Programs might provide rental equipment or instructional classes to allow participants an opportunity to experiment with the activity. The most important aspect of a tiered program is that participants can see a clear progression through the programs from one tier to the next, allowing them to make progressive decisions about their commitment to the programs.
For example, a learn-to-skate program might be offered once a week for five weeks with skate rentals provided. In the midlevel program, various recreational or drop-in opportunities might be scheduled to allow participants to progress up the tier of involvement and activity. Activities at this level might include an introductory program for hockey or figure skating. Participants who took the learn-to-skate program and are looking for ways to get more involved in skating can therefore progress up the tier of participation from less investment to progressively greater investment. The top tier would then be the leagues or competition in hockey or figure skating, and even within this tier there could be multileveled participation. One could enter the top tier in a recreational hockey league, a local city league, or a traveling league, which require increasing amounts of commitment, time, costs, and resources.
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