The Recreation Profession

PROFESSION------CAREER OPPORTUNITIES------CERTIFICATIONS

PROFESSION

Municipal / County Recreation: Local government recreation and parks departments are directly responsible for providing organized programs and facilities to meet leisure needs. They are usually part of a municipal or county recreation and parks department. Many communities have museums, libraries, social agencies, youth boards, and other community agencies that provide leisure programs (Kraus & Curtis, 2000).

Outdoor Recreation: Outdoor recreation is linked to or dependent on the natural environment. Environmental activities and leisure pursuits are often offered by public agencies, such as federal or state park departments. Nonprofit leisure-service organizations also sponsor outdoor classes that teach outdoor skills and ecological values (Kraus & Curtis, 2000).

Commercial Recreation / Tourism: Most are privately and independently owned and are for-profit organizations. Examples of commercial and tourism agencies are resorts and travel agencies, health and fitness spas, private campgrounds, theme parks, professional sports teams and stadiums, cruise ships, bowling centers, skating rinks, and dance studios (Kraus and Curtis, 2000).

Military Recreation (MWR): Each branch of military sponsors a wide range of recreational activities as part of the overall Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program. The MWR program includes social, sports, fitness, creative, and outdoor pursuits. The MWR also offers entertainment, travel and other leisure pursuits (Kraus & Curtis, 2000).

Campus Recreation: Campus recreation is an organized service that is offered in colleges and universities to students, staff, and faculty. There are two forms of campus recreation: 1. Intramural, club sports, and outdoor recreation 2. Social activities, concerts, cultural activities, and publications (Kraus and Curtis, 2000).

Therapeutic Recreation: Therapeutic recreation is directed through programs of activity for care, treatment, and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, including dependent aging persons. Clinical treatment uses carefully designed therapy intended to overcome or minimize the effects of a disability and to promote independent living capability. A few of the many settings therapeutic recreation takes place are nursing homes, independent living centers, children's hospitals, long-term care facilities, and mental health care facilities (Kraus & Curtis, 2000).

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

"The overall employment of recreation and fitness workers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010, as increasing numbers of people spend more time and money on leisure and fitness." (Occupational Outlook Handbook (2002), http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos058.htm)

Graduates of the Recreation Administreation Program find employment opportunities in the following areas:

GENERAL RECREATION

The National Recreation and Park Association has a Career Center section at this website.
http://www.nrpa.org/

OUTDOOR RECREATION

The Outdoor Recreation Institute of New England website has links to several outdoor recreation employers.
http://peaceandcarrots.homestead.com/CollegeORJobs.html

Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.
http://www.aore.org

ORGANIZED CAMPING

Organized Camping.
http://www.acacamps.org/

NON-PROFIT

This website offers resources for those working in the non-profit sector, including employment opportunities.
http://non-profit.net/

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). Association of professionals who plan and coordinate festivals and events. The website includes a job bulletin.
http://www.ifea.com/

HOSPITALITY CAREERS

Adventures in Hospitality Careers has many listings of jobs in the hospitality field.
http://www.hospitalityadventures.com/

CAMPUS RECREATION AND STUDENT SERVICES

National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
http://www.naspa.org

Bluefishjobs.com is a job site posted by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.
http://www.bluefishjobs.com/

SPORT ADMINISTRATION

Job listings, career resources, and skill training are just a few of the areas this website covers for the sports enthusiast. Provided are full job description and contact information for all sports and recreation jobs they offer.
http://www.sportsjobs.com
http://www.nassm.com

MILITARY RECREATION

Careers in military recreation.
http://www.mwr.navy.mil/index.html
http://armymwr.com
http://ww2.afpc.randolph.af.mil/resweb

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION

National Therapeutic Recreation Society. This branch of the National Recreation and Park Association provides a wide variety of resources for professionals in therapeutic recreation, including employment announcements.
http://www.nrpa.org/branches/ntrs.htm
http://www.atra-tr.org

CERTIFICATIONS

Employment Opportunities Certifications

There are several certification programs that benefit recreation professionals in furthering their careers. Some are becoming preferred and even required. The top certification becoming a requirement for new hires is Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP). This certification is offered through National Park and Recreation Association. Information can be found on the NRPA website at http://www.nrpa.org/.

Other certifications that are helpful to recreation professionals are several aquatics certifications, WFR (Wilderness First Responder), Basic First Aid, Adult and Child CPR, and Certified Recreational Sports Specialist (CRSS), which is offered through the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.