Jeremiah Peck
Recreation Philosophy
Rec 1000
Dr. Ernst
My experience of being introduced to the outdoor recreation field took place when I was only 8 or 9 years old. My mother would read books such as “My Side of the Mountain,” “Hatchet,” and “Far North,” which illustrated the extreme conditions that the outdoors can have. They also show people, mostly young teenagers, surviving in extreme conditions, living off the land, and living the experience that I dreamed about day after day. Being read these stories as I was drifting off to sleep painted glorious dreams of what could possibly come in my future.
Recreation is a chance to relax, be active, travel, try new things, and meet new people. Many people use a recreation activity, such as exercise, walk, run, basketball, rock climbing, and canoeing to relax and get away from all worries and stresses that come from normal day routines. Because most activities are based in front of some electrical piece of equipment, many people don’t realize how many opportunities they have to get outside. On campus at UMD there are endless activities from clubs to intramural sports or just exploring the city and its recreational areas. Depending on what recreational activity a person chooses from it involves a chance to travel somewhere else in the world to experience the activity in a new way. Traveling is a source of recreation that truly allows you get away and relax, have new things to do, and meet new people. In every aspect, recreation activities provide a way to try new things and meet new people. These aspects of what recreation allows us to do,helps us know more about who we really are.
Values and ethics that guide the professional delivery of services are necessary in the recreation field. Preservation and conservation of natural resources is important so that users make sure that resources are taken care of and used wisely so that future users
can experience the same activities. Freedom of choice and happiness are intertwined values that are associated with the recreation field. Having the option to recreate as you please is important. Being able to choose allows you to enjoy an activity more than being forced into it. Personal growth is also a value that the recreation field should contain. Many people look at recreation as a way to better themselves. As with personal growth, leadership development is also necessary. Many young adults don’t have the opportunity to step into a leadership position. By creating activities that allow young adults to experience and practice leadership roles it allows for the betterment of the community. All of these values and ethics lead to the quality of life of users. By preserving and conserving our resources we are making sure that we will have beautiful areas to travel and experience for a life time. Having the freedom to choose an activity will allow us to have a more fulfilling experience making us happier. Having recreational pursuits that allow us to see who we are make it possible for us to grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. Along with having these choices comes the opportunity to have leadership experience. Having leadership qualities betters yourself and others around you.
Recreation organizations should be available to everyone. Although an organization needs to make sure that they aren’t spread out too much causing poor service to clients. Among the customers, the relationship between the organization and its customers should be positive. Positive interactions include high quality teaching, technique, etiquette, and service.
From experience the group that I would most like to work with would be 18-45 years old. While this area is very broad, it represents an age range of people that want to learn technical skills and are willing to push their limits to experience new things.
The relationship an organization should have with the natural environment should be one of a caring mother. It should provide great support but still allow it to be used to its full extent. It is a recreation organization’s responsibility to ensure that the environment is staying healthy and that users are using it correctly. An organizations relationship with the community should be one that is looked highly upon by all. Its reputation is one that anyone can rely on and the service they provide to be the best.
Two quotes that fit my view of what the recreation industry has to offer are, “Not all who wander are lost” by J.R.R. Tolkein from The Hobbit and from the movie, Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy living or get busy dieing.” These quotes illustrate the possibilities of that the recreation industry has to be an influential part of a person’s life.