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