There are more opportunities than ever for employment in recreational sport, which means the need to prepare students with a solid foundation of the design, delivery, and management of recreational sport has never been more critical.
Recreational Sport is designed precisely with that need in mind. This text provides a contemporary perspective of recreational sport management, offering a comprehensive picture of recreational sport management for people in or entering all sectors of recreation and leisure, including public, nonprofit, private, and commercial.
“We saw a need for broad-based recreational sport programming that reflects the myriad of recreational sport activities and opportunities that are out there,” says lead author Robert Barcelona. “To meet those increased needs and interests, people need to have an array of programming and management skills in recreational sport.”
Barcelona and his coauthors help readers gain those skills in part by simplifying the complicated process of designing and delivering programs in various settings in recreation and leisure services. They present a macrocosm view of recreational sport in communities—a view that reflects the most current, application-based research in the field.
Their text places recreational sport squarely in the middle of the recreation and leisure curriculum and is supported by the recreational sport core competencies as developed by Barcelona himself. Those competencies are based on what recreational sport managers need to know and be able to do to grow and succeed in the profession, and they connect with the NIRSA recreational sport competencies developed in 2013.
Part I: Theory, Philosophy, and Foundations of Recreational Sport
Chapter 1:Introduction to Recreational Sport
Leisure
Sport
The Recreational Sport Profession
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 2: Physical Activity and Recreational Sport
Understanding Physical Activity and Inactivity
Benefits of Physical Activity
Promoting Physically Active Recreational Sport
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 3: Diversity and Inclusion in Recreational Sport
Sport for All
Legislation Guiding Professionals
Age
Demographics
Constraints on Participation
Programming Considerations
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Part II: Competencies of Recreational Sport Professionals
Chapter 4: Program Planning
Programming Philosophies
Programming Components
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 5: Structured Tournament Scheduling
Big Picture of Tournament Design
Round-Robin Tournaments
Elimination Tournaments
Challenge or Extended Tournaments
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 6: Facility Planning and Design
Developing and Refining Strategic and Master Plans
Benchmarking and Space Standards
Program Statements
Design and Construction Process
Facility Considerations
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 7: Financing and Marketing
Expenditures
Major Sources of Revenue in Recreational Sport
Marketing Techniques and Considerations
Customer Service
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 8: Risk Management
Liability and Risk
Liability Concerns
Creating a Plan to Manage Risk
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 9: Human Resources Management
Recreational Sport Personnel
Human Resources Processes
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 10: Technology Applications
Understanding the Scope of Technology
Computing Technology and Recreational Sport
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Part III: Recreational Sport Settings and Contexts
Chapter 11: Recreational Sport in the Community
Community Benefits of Recreational Sport
Community Recreational Sport Management in Typical Communities
Community Recreational Sport in Nontypical Communities
Community Recreational Sport for People With Disabilities
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 12: Youth Sport
Recreational Youth Sport Experience
Needs of Young Athletes
Changing the Current Culture of Recreational Youth Sport
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 13: Campus Recreational Sport
Foundations of Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation Facilities and Programs
Professional Development in Campus Recreation
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 14: International Sport Influence on Recreational Sport
Sport as a Unifying Body
International Sport Organizations
International Sport Models
Sport and the Olympics
Jobs and Career Opportunities
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Chapter 15: Careers in Recreational Sport
The Recreational Sport Field
Professional and Career Development in Recreational Sport
Conclusion
Learning Aids
Robert Barcelona, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of New Hampshire’s department of recreation management and policy. He teaches courses in recreational sport management, youth development, and organizational administration and leadership for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Mary Sara Wells, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of Utah’s department of parks, recreation, and tourism. She teaches courses in youth development, community recreation, and sport management.
Since 2004 Wells has researched sportsmanship issues in youth sport. She has published her research in numerous journals, presented at several national and international conferences, and conducted trainings and evaluations for multiple municipal youth sport agencies across the country.
Skye Arthur-Banning, PhD, is an associate professor at Clemson University in the department of parks, recreation and tourism management. He teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in sport management and sport for development as well as in the core curriculum, and he advises graduate students in amateur sport for community and youth development.