Executive Counsellor Guild

RECREATION OVERVIEW

As leisure time and personal incomes have grown, so have the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry. This industry includes more than 108,000 establishments, ranging from art museums to fitness centers. Practically any activity that occupies a person's leisure time, excluding the viewing of motion pictures and videotape rentals, is part of the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry.

The live performances or events segment of the industry includes professional sports, as well as establishments providing sports facilities and services to amateurs. A variety of businesses and groups involved in live theatrical and musical performances are included in this segment. Also included are agents and managers, who represent actors and entertainers and assist them in finding jobs or engagements. Booking agencies line up performance engagements for theatrical groups and entertainers. Performers of live musical entertainment include popular music artists, dance bands, orchestras, jazz musicians, and rock-and-roll bands.

The recreation or leisure-time segment includes a variety of establishments provide amusement for a growing number of customers. Some of these businesses provide video game, pinball, and gaming machines for the public at amusement parks, arcades, and casinos. Casinos and other gaming establishments offering off-track betting are a rapidly growing part of this industry segment. This segment also includes amusement and theme parks, which range in size from local carnivals to multi-acre parks. These establishments may have mechanical rides, shows, and refreshment stands. Other recreation and leisure-time services include golf, skating rinks, ski lifts, marinas, day camps, fireworks display services, go-cart rentals, rodeos, riding stables, waterslides, and establishments offering rental sporting goods.

Positions in arts, entertainment, and recreation are more likely to be part time than are those in other industries. In fact, the average non-supervisory worker in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry worked 25.7 hours a week in 2002.

Many types of arts, entertainment, and recreation establishments dramatically increase employment during the summer and either scale back employment during the winter or close down completely.

The arts, entertainment, and recreation industry includes approximately 1.8 million wage and salary jobs in 2002. Over half of these jobs were in the industry segment other amusement and recreation industries - which includes golf courses, membership sports and recreation clubs, and physical fitness facilities.

Online Recourses:

American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation & Dance
www.aahperd.org
AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals supporting and assisting those involved in physical education, leisure, fitness, dance, health promotion, and education and all specialties related to achieving a healthy lifestyle. AAHPERD is an alliance of six national associations and six district associations and is designed to provide members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support, and programs to help practitioners improve their skills and further the health and well-being of the American public.

American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation & Dance/Resources
http://www.aahperd.org/aahperd/template.cfm?template=publications-links.html
Provides links to related associations such as Special Olympics, No Child Left Behind, American Heart Association and more, and links to state AAHPERD members.

National Recreation & Park Association
www.nrpa.org
A site for park professionals, urban planners, citizens. For more than 100 years, NRPA has been the voice advocating the significance of making parks, open space, and recreational opportunities available to all Americans.

National Recreation & Park Association/
National and State Affiliates
www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=497
In addition to 52 state affiliates, NRPA has professional working arrangements with three national affiliates. State or national, all of these groups work in concert with NRPA to further the commitment of providing quality park and recreation experiences to all Americans.

Park District Risk Management Association
www.pdrma.org
The Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA) was created by park and recreation agencies as an alternative to commercial insurance. The organization's purpose is to combine resources, to pay losses, purchase insurance, develop risk management and loss control programs and defend lawsuits brought against the members. The Park District Risk Management Agency was one of the first public entity pools in Illinois. Today PDRMA is a membership organization comprised of over 145 park districts, forest preserve districts and special recreation associations located throughout the State of Illinois.

Northern Arizona University
www.prm.nau.edu/prm200/state-associations.htm
Northern Arizona University's list of state park and recreation associations.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
www.siue.edu/PAPA/links/careers/parks_rec.htm
Provides links to related associations and organizations.

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