Graduates with a degree in recreation have studied and participated in field work to prepare themselves for careers that address the national desire for the positive use of leisure time. Their degree title does not by any means imply that graduates with a degree in recreation are people who just organize sports, games and competitions. In fact graduates with a degree in recreation are trained professionals aware of the large spectrum of recreation needs and possibilities for all age groups. Graduates with a degree in recreation should enter the field with confidence that job opportunities in that field will continue to expand into the foreseeable future as America’s obsession with recreation has no end in sight.
Local Recreation Directors Neighborhoods, small towns, even cities have in many instances added the position of Recreation Director to the list of municipal employees. Directors of Recreation are entrusted with providing enriching activities for all ages throughout the entire calendar year. This may include organizing youth sports programs and competition in soccer, basketball, baseball and other sports. Such work includes finding volunteer coaches, arranging practices, scheduling the use of local facilities and making sure that the safety and security of all participants is provided.for.
Graduates with a degree in recreation who sign on as a town’s recreation director may find that their work also extends to providing enrichment opportunities for adults. This can include volleyball, belly dancing, tennis, basketball and aerobics. Again the director must make all the necessary arrangements for the needed space. There are forms to fill out and in some instances fees to be collected. If the recreation department is large it may mean supervising not just volunteers but also part time workers.
In many cases graduates with a degree in recreation will find that being a local recreation director can include leading a full day summer program, comparable to a summer camp. Graduates with a degree in recreation will use the skills they have developed in their course work to provide full schedules, special events, day trips and family events. During the summer directors may also find that the community for which they work also has a desire for programs geared for the adult population.
Planning events for adults like dances, concerts, beach trips, a night at the theater or the ball game may easily fall under the direction of a graduate with a degree in recreation.
In most cases the salary for a full time recreation director may be similar to that received by a teacher. The benefits should also be comparable as long as the graduate with a degree in recreation is a public employee. As the director of recreation, graduates with a degree in recreation are the boss , they work for themselves. The work of a recreation director can be physically demanding and there is a certain amount of pressure involved but generally there is also a good deal of enjoyment in helping people to get the most out of their free time and certainly the lifestyle for most recreation directors tends to be healthy.
College Campus Some graduates with a degree in recreation who have enjoyed life on a college campus will be pleased to find that they can put their degree to work in similar venues across the U. S. Many colleges employ graduates with a degree in recreation to head up their on campus sports activities. With thousands of students on campuses and limited space available, there is an obvious need for skilled and experienced personnel to organize and schedule activities for maximum use of available facilities like tennis courts, ball fields, swimming and diving areas, and basketball courts.
Care must be given to the safety of all participants and the overall behavior on college property. Graduates with a degree in recreation may find themselves in charge of administering facilities, maintaining equipment and monitoring sites. This oversight work can be taxing and it can also be tedious but it is often part of the job.
Sometimes colleges contract with graduates with a degree in recreation to administer programs outside of athletics. This may bring them into closer contact with students who want activities as diverse as trick or treat event for neighborhood children, chess tournaments between faculty and students or Christmas Caroling in the college courtyard. For graduates with a degree in recreation, part of the fun of working on a college campus as a recreation or student activities director is the great variety of activities that come your way as well as the diversity of students who pursue them.
Cruise Ships and Resorts Graduates with a degree in recreation who like to travel may be interested in a career on a cruise ship or at a quality resort. Anyone who ever watched the television favorite “The Love Boat” will certainly remember Julie who was the employee assigned to getting people involved in the ongoing events on board. This really is a career and it can be filled by men and women. People pay top dollar to go on cruises and as much as they expect to be pampered and extremely well fed most also want to be entertained and have opportunites for recreation . Graduates with a degree in recreation may find positions on cruise ships that allow them to develop recreational programs and schedules for literally thousands of people.
This kind of work is exhilarating because of the travel aspect involved but it can also be challenging as one tries to meet the many demands of a diverse group.
If you like the idea of arranging activities for large groups of relatively pampered guests you may want to take your degree in recreation to one of our many resort establishments. The work isn’t terribly different from that which you find on a cruise ship, except that you don’t have to deal with rolling seas and the accompanying mal de mer. The higher end the resort the more demanding the guests is a good rule of thumb. Graduates with degree in recreation witll find a good salary and unusually good gratuities working at resorts but they will also find the demand to provide recreational activities for everybody, all the time.
After school programs In cities and in smaller towns and suburbs where there is no recreational program or one that is rather limited in its offerings, there are often after school programs for students run by non-profits like the YMCA or Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Graduates with a degree in recreation will find that their knowledge and experience will be in great demand at these facilities. Most non-profits cannot afford big paychecks, the working conditions may be difficult, you may be expected to work extra hours for very little extra pay but in the end you may find that this kind of work is just exactly why you trained and became a graduate with a degree in recreation. Working in after school programs to provide enriching activities in a safe environment can be the most rewarding work you will ever do. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America call themselves, not without reason, the positive place for kids. For some graduates with a degree in recreation such non profit experiences may turn out to be a positive place for you.
Senior Centers. Graduates with a degree in recreation who enjoy or have prior experience in working with the elderly may find great enjoyment in working at local senior centers to provide them with activities, events, trips, and entertainment geared to their interests and abilities. Our nation has grown not only in its senior population but also in the number of community centers that have been built for their recreational use. These centers often employ one or more individuals who are given the responsibility for orchestrating and presenting a year long schedule of activities. Some of these recreational activities may be weekly events like card games or singing groups, others may involve bringing in outside entertainment or arranging for parties, occasionally graduates with a degree in recreation may even find themselves on a bus headed for Anywhere, USA with a group of senior citizens and having a marvelous time.
Working conditions at senior centers are rumored to be among the best. Seniors, while they may have a foible or two, are amazingly adept at recognizing and appreciating those who are adding to their quality of life. While the salary will not sweep you away the gratitude and courtesy of those with whom you work just might.
Graduates with a degree in recreation generally like to have fun. Not surprisingly many careers for graduates with a degree in recreation are apt to provide exactly that for everyone involved.
