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.
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| 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.
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| Photo Credit: Gunnar Ritcher |
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 
I think more games tailored to middle-aged and older would be a great thing to incorporate at SPARD.
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