After School and Summer Programs

After school and summer programs help provide safety and supervision to youth while still letting them expand their cognitive, physical, and social skills with fellow classmates and other children in the community. After school and summer, programs offer a wide variety of activities to the attendees. Some after school activities include, but are not limited to, movie nights, craft day, nutrition day, and exercise. Some summer activities include, swimming class, mini-lifeguard courses, camp outs and gardening classes.

When a child is in an afterschool program mentors who are there to deter the child from negative activity surround them. “Juvenile crime and victimization peaks in the hours after school, yet 1 in 5 kids are left on their own during these hours.”1 Adolescents who are left alone in those couple of hours after school and before mom and dad return home are more prone to wander out and experiment with negative things such as drugs, alcohol, and destructive behavior. “For every dollar invested in afterschool programs, $2.50 is saved in crime-related costs.”1  I think it is important to be able to give the parents who work the late shift or can’t always be there, a chance for affordable after school care. Many kids who roam around in the park or in the streets are not purposely left unattended but it seems like the only option for a parent.. If we could give these kids the chance to build relationships in after school programs, it would impact them in the most positive way. I mean really it’s just a little more time to expand their knowledge and ensure that they are in a safe environment.

Sure, during the school year is incredibly important. However, what happens when school lets out? Should we just let kids run around freely for two and a half/three months? I do not think so. We give them programming for the summer as well. I think it is important to ensure that the kids are learning things year round. Yes, summer is their ‘time off’ but that does not mean the brain shuts down. We can come up with activities that are still extremely fun but also a learning experience. Especially those that cannot afford childcare through the summer. “Summer learning programs have the potential to help children and youth improve their academic and other outcomes. This is especially true for children from low-income families who might not have access to educational resources throughout the summer months and for low-achieving students who need additional time to master academic content.”1 I believe that every kid regardless of class, race or gender should get a fighting chance to learn and be involved.

SISD students enjoying Splashville. Photo Credit: Cherisa Verastigue 

These programs help to provide a fun, healthy, and fit environment for today’s youth. After school and summer programs are an excellent way for parents to feel sure that their child is safe after school and during the summer. These programs provide children with extra help with their studies, learning new skills, getting out of their comfort zone and encourages them to stay healthy.

References

1 “After School Programs." Youth.gov, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.

2 McCombs, J. S. (2011). Making summer count: how summer programs can boost childrens learning. Retrieved November 22, 2017.

Professional Involvment in Recreation

Recreation professionals may not be abundant, but there are more professionals in the field than you think. If you truly have a passion for Parks and Recreation and plan to make it your career choice, it is important to know where to start and how to get involved.

Choosing to be in the field

Photo Credit: Caleb McCaig 

If you choose to take the parks and rec route, find a university that offers a program related to parks and rec. Here is a bit about my personal road to choosing the field. When I started my college journey, it was not an option at the school I attend, Tarleton State University (TSU). I have a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness Management and am currently working on a Master’s degree in Athletic Administration. I started in the Kinesiology program taking the education route but after working several recreation jobs, I found my love for it and change to a similar program. I started in aquatics as a lifeguard and aerobics instructor in 2008 and a volunteer youth basketball coach, almost TEN years ago. I worked at the pool facility in Graham, Texas until 2012. After working in Graham, I received a job as a Head Lifeguard/Instructor at Splashville in Stephenville. As I worked as a lifeguard there, I also worked with SPARD scorekeeping, officiating and coaching youth teams. During the school year at TSU, from 2013 to 2014 I worked for TSU Campus Recreation as a scorekeeper and official. I worked mosts of these jobs all through college. After graduating in December of 2015, I was hired on as the new Aquatics/Athletic Coordinator for SPARD. I have been at the job since and had a title change; Recreation Coordinator. Now back to business. They now offer a parks and rec program at TSU. The more you search around, you will find that other universities have similar Parks and Recreation programs. So picking the right university and the right program will get you off to the right start. While you are in school try to find a job or internship in the field. I had professors that preached about how important it was to have experience in your suggested field before jumping into the real world and I couldn’t agree more. There are always official, scorekeeping, field crew and other recreation job openings or internships. You just have to look. I know at SPARD, we are always open to take interns. There are always ways to get the experience. I know that there are bills and rent to be paid, but this will help your professional development in the long run. Find a way to juggle a job (way to make money and pay the bills) and YOUR CAREER (the most important).

Networking

Photo Credit: Google 

It is important to know other colleagues and professionals in your field. There are plenty of ways to do so. In class, don’t be too afraid to pair up with someone with the same interest. If your professor breaks you up into groups, take it serious and pick the classmate that could help you the most. In my time, I can actually say that it has worked. I was in a professional development class and we had to pair with someone in our field. My partner later ended up working with me at Splashville (The City of Stephenville’s aquatic facility) and works at the TSU Recreation Center. I know if I needed a connection there, I could reach out to them. Though this works, let’s not forget the century we are in. Everybody uses social media. Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and follow well-known professionals in your field. Follow people who have years of experience in the field and could answer questions if you ever felt like asking. I follow multiple people on social media just for that reason. A couple of professional twitter handles you should follow being in the field are, @NRPA_news (National Recreation and Parks Association) and @TRAPSTX (Texas Parks and Recreation Society). There are plenty of professionals in the field that follows these pages and you could link with them. Both professional groups have facebook and LinkedIn as well. When reaching out to others, you may not always get an answer, but if they care about their profession, more than likely they are willing to answer all that they can. Create a LinkedIn. This is where many businesses and people go to look for professionals in the field. It’s basically an online resume and marketing tool! Don’t be afraid to get out there and work on your connections!!!!

Associations and Conferences

I can tell you, there are TONS of associations you can join as a student or a professional. Take the chance to become a member as a student, it is much more cost effective. When you are a professional the price to be a member becomes more expensive. In my opinion, the National Recreation and Parks Association would be the perfect one to become a member of. I browsed Washington's Parks and Recreation Association page and found a list of each state’s association. Such as Alabama Recreation and Parks, New York State Recreation and Park Society Inc., and Oklahoma Recreation and Parks Society.1 If you wonder why I randomly browsed their website, it is to show that parks and recreation is everywhere. Regardless of what state you live in, you can find your association. Since I live in Texas, I will talk more about the associations you can be apart of here. Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS) is an awesome association! They host many educational trainings for recreation and parks staff and an annual conference where all the members can socialize and go through workshops together. Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) is an association that bases around sport. Broken up into regions across Texas and there are many athletic events hosted by TAAF. The two biggest ones are the Winter and Summer Games (and YES, they take volunteers). Not to mention the workshops and annual conference. If you are into aquatics there is the Texas Public Pool Council (TPPC). If you get employed by a municipal recreation department, chances are you will have a chance to become members of all of these associations on their budget. If not, I believe that it is totally worth the money. Whether it be a benefit from work or your personal money, DO IT! Join the associations, network with everyone,  volunteer when needed and run for positions. In the long run, it will pay off. Whichever conferences/workshops you go to there are usually certification classes that come with it. An example is the ‘Sports Management School University’ hosted by TAAF. On TAAF’s website a basic description of the training is stated as “This annual school is a perfect, economical opportunity to improve your knowledge and abilities in the sports management arena. You will receive a crash-course on the hot topics of athletics, taught by "gurus" in the Parks and Recreation Field. Upon completion of both years in the school, participants will become a TAAF Certified Professional Sports Manager (C.P.S.M.).  Participants must recertify within four (4) years of the date certified to retain certification.”2 Fees for this school are listed as ‘SMS University registration fee: $35.00 thru March 31, Platinum SMS University fee: $100 (includes hotel accommodations 2 people per room) thru March 31, SMS University registration fee after March 31: $50.00 and CEU's $10.00.’2 I personally have not attended this YET. I have attended a couple of the TAAF Region 4 meetings, a Lifeguard Instructor course (cert), a Chemical Pool Operator course (cert) and other small trainings for athletics. The Spring of 2018 I will be attending the TRAPS annual conference and the TPPC annual conference and I cannot wait for the experience!!!

It is incredibly important to have a passion for what you do. I think it takes a passionate professional to get involved in Parks and Recreation. So if you think that it is the road for you, take the right steps. Find the right degree, follow the professionals of your choice and join the associations and clubs.

References:

1 Office, W. (2017). Parks & Recreation Associations. Retrieved November 09, 2017, from http://www.wrpatoday.org/resources

2 SMS University. (2013). Retrieved November 13, 2017, from http://www.taaf.com/index.php?module=cms&page=17

Different Elements of Parks and Recreation

In my last blog I talked about why I thought recreation is important and it absolutely is. However, along with recreation, comes parks and different elements that make it possible for activities. There are other employees that do not work in the recreation department, facilities that must be used/cleaned and special events outside of sport. I will break down what I consider important elements that make a successful recreational program.

Parks Crew: The employees not noticed enough

(Parks employees laying new clay for softball fields) Photo Credit: SPARD

Recreation professionals have partners in the field that are even more behind the curtains, the parks crew. Park employees are the ones who ensure that it is possible for recreation employees to host sports/events. In order to have a successful program we have to have the facility. Who takes care of those facilities you might ask? The park crew and field maintenance crew. These employees are the ones who will work overtime to mow the lawn, trim the bushes, line the fields, move the base and take care of pests. You name it and these employees will take care of it. They are AWESOME! During each sport we host practices Monday through Friday. The park crew are the ones who make sure that the fields are mowed, ants are killed and stickers are not bad. We host adult softball, kickball,  flag football youth baseball. Football and softball almost every day of the week depending on the season. The field crew comes in each day and measures out where the bases have to be, line the bases, and marks the field lines and in-zones. For special events such as the Arts of Crafts fair, these employees are setting up eight plus tables and chairs, putting down temporary floor and running lines for electricity to each spot. When I say they will do anything to help our department, I mean it. To recognize these employees I feel like we could put on some sort of employee appreciation luncheon or ‘employee of the month’. We do not have a budget for it yet, but we have talked about taking the money we make from game protest and starting an ‘employee appreciation account’ in the budget. Once we did that it would be easier to host luncheons, dinners or get the plaques for employee of the month.

Aquatics: The summer fun

(Opening day at Splashville) Photo Credit: SPARD

Most recreation departments host few sporting events through the summer. Summer is vacation time so numbers decrease. Nevertheless, the one thing that stands out is aquatics. This is what I consider one of the best times of the year. There are lifeguard certifications and trainings. Someone is in the background working on chemicals, maintaining the pool and making sure it is good to operate. After the trainings of staff and maintenance comes the real fun. Hosting of water aerobics and swim lessons. Obviously, being open to the public is a bonus but getting to see a child learn to blow bubbles for the first time or a senior citizen feeling the burn during a workout is rewarding. At SPARD we are trying to offer more programs because we hold limited classes. I have found that you can turn the simplest event into a family fun aquatics event. “When developing new programming, land-based or in-water, be sure that your plans have a clear focus, says White. That could be water safety education, health and wellness, or even general fun and recreation.”2 I think it is important to find new ways to reach out and make it a summer to remember. For adults I think a program such as ‘aqua yoga’ or something such as ‘adult swim’. Aqua yoga is kind of like water aerobics but yoga poses in the water and adult swim would simply be to clear the pool every two hours for fifteen minutes to allow the adults to swim and the lifeguards would supervise children at the splashpad are.

Special Events: Family fun for everyone

(4th of July Parade) Photo Credit: Stephenville Chamber of Commerce

Each town you go to has a plethora of special occasions or holiday events. Here in Stephenville, we focus on Fourth of July, Halloween and Christmas. SPARD partners with other businesses, such as the Chamber, to hosts the Fourth of July parade and park celebration, safe trick or treat on the square and Holly Jolly Christmas at the downtown plaza. Sure, we do smaller events such as Thanksgiving food drives, movie night in the park and Parent’s Night Out but they are not as big as the holiday events. Being a somewhat small town we are limited on what we can do because of budget and supplies. If you google other cities such as Fort Worth, their list goes on and on. Regardless the amount of events your town has, they are still important. This is a chance for family and friends to get together and celebrate special occasions. Most of the time, events as such are free. Which is a plus!! There are some negatives that come with being a smaller town. We have the population but we are limited on budget. Compared to other municipal recreation departments we are limited on budget and really the amount of events we host. I browsed the recreation website of a fellow Region Four TAAF (Texas Amateur Athletic Federation) City, The Colony. As I was browsing I found that they had a catalog for each season; Fall, Summer and Spring. As I read through the ‘Fall Fun Times’ I noticed the plethora of special events they had.1 I feel that Stephenville could network with some of these cities and get information on how they run their programs. Whether it be donations, pairing with other businesses or other sports/special event organizations they get it done.

These three subdivisions of recreation are just some of the ones that I believe to be important. As a Recreation Coordinator, they are really the ones I like to focus on. Of course, youth and adult sports are fun and important but it is not the only event that is important. If you think you want to step outside the sports aspect of recreation, DO IT! The reward of doing so will not only be awesome but it is also good for your professional development.

References:

1 Fun Times Catalog . (2017, January). Retrieved November, 2017, from https://www.thecolonytx.gov/Depts/PARD/FunTimes.html

2 Kozen, K. (2012, March 01). 5 Ways to Pump Up Your Programming . Retrieved November 01, 2017, from http://www.aquaticsintl.com/facilities/5-ways-to-pump-up-your-programming_o

Why Recreation is Important

If you were to go out into your community and ask fellow citizens why they think recreation is important, it would be taken out of context. Most people hear the word recreation and immediately assume that  it represents  simple games for youth. Human Kinetics defines recreation as “an activity that people engage in during their free time, that people enjoy, and that people recognize as having socially redeeming values. The activity performed is less important than the reason for performing the activity, which is the outcome.”1 This definition does not aim to restrict recreation to only youth activities. You can search separately for the definition of recreation for kids. Point being, is most people do not realize that recreation is for everyone. From babies, middle aged citizens and senior citizens, there is something recreational for all ages. Recreation has a huge impact on the community for various reasons. (List three: physical health, mental and emotional health, i.e. stress/anxiety levels, etc.)

As kinesiology students and professionals we are taught how important your physical and mental health is. If we started practicing healthy habits from a young age and carried them through the stages of life, I feel like some could live a longer and healthier life. A lot of times when middle-aged citizens and senior citizens  reach a certain age they assume they are too old to do anything recreationally. Why not try to tell them differently? If we can show them that it is possible to stay active, have fun and be elderly, we would have a healthier community overall. According to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “creating, improving and promoting places to be physically active can improve individual and community health and result in a 25 percent increase of residents who exercise at least three times per week.”2 Having worked in recreation for some time now, I have realized that the youth participant rate is never an issue. Parents want their kids to be active and interact with friends.

Photo Credit: Stephenville Senior Center 

As a Recreation Coordinator, I am pushing for more activities for the middle aged and older community. We have a plethora of events for the youth. At Stephenville Parks and Recreation Department (a lot of times, I will refer to it as SPARD) we offer; youth volleyball, flag football, baseball, softball, basketball, swim, track and field, karate and numerous special events. Honestly, I could sit here all day and continue to list various activities we offer at SPARD. For adults we offer softball, volleyball, football and basketball. Pretty much the basics, but why stop there? Sure, during the summer we offer water aerobics twice a week but that is still not even scratching the surface on what we could be doing. For senior citizens, we have a center where they can go play cards and have lunch and coffee served to them. As you can see in the photo above, most of the seniors are sitting down and look quite bored. There is more we can do.

Photo Credit: Gunnar Ritcher 

Not everyone likes basic sport. I feel that we could incorporate things such as golfing, bowling, archery and work out classes for the older citizens. If we give them more options, the activity rate is sure to increase. I think it is important to find a way to reach out to everyone in the community. Recently, at SPARD we sent out a survey in hopes of getting feedback about all things recreation. I am hopeful that this will point us in the direction of increasing adult activities and bettering youth activities.

Recreation is important because it impacts the community positively. It is important to educate others on the importance of recreation. So that when they hear the word recreation, they do not assume it is just fun for the kids. Recreation is about wellness, social interaction and economic development.   

References:

1Definitions of Leisure, Play, and Recreation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/definitions-of-leisure-play-and-recreation

2 Why Parks and Recreation are Essential Public Services. (2010, January). Retrieved October 6, 2017, from https://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Advocacy/Resources/Parks-Recreation-Essential-Public-Services-January-2010.pdf