Careers in Recreation and Leisure include scuba instructor, golf instructor, parks director and forest ranger.
What is Recreation and Leisure
Nearly 300 million Americans today balance life between work, school, raising a family, and maintaining homes while also enjoying a bit of play time by partaking in some form of leisurely recreation. Some of these activities might include fitness regimes, performing arts, travel events, volunteer projects, educational instruction, sports events, musical concerts, visiting museums, socializing with friends, or maybe simply enjoying the nature that surrounds us. Recent data shows that the average American spends about 4.5 hours per day enjoying some form of recreational activity. The demand for services and opportunities to increase our rates of enjoyment in these activities will place increased pressure on the government agencies, businesses and offices that provide them.
With a host of government agencies and private organizations in need of Recreation and Leisure professionals to provide these many activities and locations for recreation, opportunities for employment in Recreation and Leisure can be found in a wide range of organizations, such as the YMCA/YWCA, amusement parks, health clubs, aquatic facilities, golf courses, fishing charters, scouting organizations, and local and national parks.
Preparing for a career in Recreation and Leisure
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services can encompass a wide scope of activities, so careful planning and consideration into which are of expertise you will like to pursue should be well considered prior to enrolling in a degree program of study. In most States a four-year degree can be easily located that will prepare the student for a role in the area of recreational services, and this type of degree can be highly advantageous to acquiring a position in your chosen field. But many other local colleges also offer a two-year degree option which can also easily provide entry into this diverse and exciting career path. Some may prepare the graduate indirectly for a position in this arena. For example, a degree in Law Enforcement can lead to a position as a Ranger or Enforcement Officer for a federal or state level park.
The National Recreational and Parks Association (NRPA) offers suggestions and general guidelines for any recreation / leisure service degree program, usually including courses in outdoor recreation, recreation leadership, programming, recreation for disabled persons, and administration of recreational services. General Study classes, such as sociology, psychology, communications, and English make for a solid background that only adds to your potential for success.
The two leading professional organizations, NRPA and AAHPERD, recommend that the student also get involved in student organizations, or “majors” clubs, whereby the student can meet and network with other similarly interested people and professionals from a variety of local, state and federal levels. This will not only enhance your level of professional training, but will help you to better determine the best area that fits your abilities and preferences.
Get related job experience before deciding on a Recreation and Leisure Bachelor’s degree
The forms of related work experience that apply to a career in the recreational services are as varied as the recreational activities themselves. Most work related experience involves leadership roles where leisure activities are performed. Many young students on their way to college may have already held positions as camp counselors, lifeguards, positions on school sports teams, or in amusement park entertainment genres. But once you enter college, it is important to maintain and enhance your extracurricular experiences outside of the classroom in order to gain even more work related experiences. Leadership roles as a Dorm Resident Assistant, a Club President, or a supervisor or coach of an intramural activity can easily add to your resume, and all are valuable milestones on your pathway to a position in the recreational services profession.
Job opportunities for those with a Recreation and Leisure degree
Career opportunities are as wide ranging as the types of activities that we enjoy. Federal career possibilities include placement in the national forests, parks and other natural wonders. The armed forces often hire professionals to lead activities and programs at military bases around the world where the servicemen and their families reside. Every State in the Union has a diverse and eclectic group of state parks and open space developments, each needing qualified individuals in positions of leadership for recreational coordination, resource managers, and law enforcement officers. Local parks and communities have these needs as well and often require other instructors for sporting clubs, youth programs, and services for the elderly, scouting programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, after school programs and many other areas. There are even private and semi-private clubs and organizations that are looking to hire managers for their golf courses, tennis clubs, and fitness facilities. And even if your preference is for kayaking and hiking, positions as summer camp counselors abound. No area of “fun” is excluded in this profession!
