Why parks and recreation? varied reasons, unified goals - Tip-Off

Parks & Recreation, Sept, 2002

Why are you involved in parks and recreation? At the recent NRPA Board of Trustees meeting in Big Sky, Mont., Dr. Ellen O'Sullivan, CPRP, asked that question during her Core Values Workshop. The trustees' answers were diverse:

"I developed my self confidence by learning to dive off the high dive at a recreation center when I was a child. After overcoming that fear, I knew I could meet any challenge. I wanted to give this gift of confidence to others."

"I wanted to create a safe haven for kids of working parents, and I saw the opportunity through my city's park and recreation department. The more I got involved, the more I realized that this one department was the glue that held my community together, and I wanted to be a part of it."

"My favorite memories as a child are outdoor experiences in parks with my family. Hiking, camping, picnics. I want to be sure that these resources are available for future generations, so others can share in these memories."

"I always enjoyed sports and found that this was a career where I could mix business with pleasure ... and get paid doing it."

By understanding why parks and recreation strike a responsive chord in the hearts and minds of your staff and citizens, you'll better be able to develop programs and support to improve the quality of life for all individuals.

"It was great to see that the reasons people said they supported parks and recreation were all aspects of NRPA's mission, goals and Vision 2010," says O'Sullivan. The core values the trustees shared could be grouped under goals to promote families and children, promote stewardship, prevent negative social and health lifestyles, and support community and our nation's heritage. Pretty lofty goals indeed.

NRPA staff and leadership will utilize the information garnered at the workshop to further develop NRPA programs as well as develop external messages that explain the importance of parks and recreation to our society.