Mike Fugiel is presently a graduate student in the Department of Recreation at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and is completing a degree in Recreation Administration. Prior to attending graduate school, Mike was employed by the Franklin Park Park District as a Facility Supervisor. His future goals include an administrative position in the area of Commercial Recreation and the pursuit of a Doctoral Degree in Education.

The criteria involved in separating professionals from non-professionals is indeed a difficult task by definition. The question of semantics has affected the concept of the professional within the field of recreation. The learned members of society have had great difficulty in assigning the role of an individual within their areas of talent or expertise as a true professional. Members of the medical community and athletes playing before capacity crowds are both commonly referred to as professionals. Webster defines a professional as "...a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long academic preparation."¹

"As recreation has become an increasingly important professional service, it has gradually developed its own national or regional professional organization, system of higher education, research, publications, and standards."² The relevance of professionalism is indeed significant within the realm of the student. Therefore, it must be recognized that the professional responsibilities of the student cannot be based solely upon consumption of information without an equal effort placed upon contributions with which to structure a career.

"Park, recreation, and leisure services practitioners claim professionalism but appear to be reluctant to make the necessary commitments for professionalism."³ Awareness is a key word in advocating professionalism in the eyes of the student and the connotations lie along the lines of education, experience, professional organizations, and standards.

Education basically encompasses the completion of obligations and meeting the objectives of a given college or university curriculum. The student should take advantage of the information generated in the classroom as well as contribute experiences or opinions in relation to the subject matter. It is the responsibility of the student to read professional journals and publications which exemplify current practices in programming and administration. The student should also investigate current research within the areas of leisure studies as well as research in other areas that may have an impact on the recreation movement. Finally, the student has an obligation to formulate personal and professional philosophies on leisure and recreation on which to initiate their entrance and acceptance into the field.

Experience is a rather obscure concept for most students. Many job listings contain qualifications by education and specified years of experience. A frequent inquiry centers around, "How do I get experience if I can't find a job?" There is little doubt that experience is often a prerequisite to quality work performance, but the student can gain valuable experience without holding a "full-time" position. The field of recreation provides for numerous part-time and seasonal employment opportunities. In addition, numerous agencies are screaming for volunteer assistance in order to better service their clientele. The contribution here is geared toward society as a whole, but also gives the student the opportunity to work with a number of different populations and their respective program areas. Occasionally, the value of the work experience may outweigh its financial assets, but the equalizer becomes readily apparent in the application of these experiences to established credentials.

Professional organizations provide a network of opportunities for the student to grow professionally. A few functions of state and national organizations include sponsoring conventions and workshops, publishing periodicals and newsletters, formulating lobbying groups, administering certification programs, and creating specialized committees and task forces. The student must realize that paying dues to take advantage of these services is not enough. Participation within these programs gives the student the opportunity to contact the experts and explore the field from a different perspective. Involvement also provides a means to encounter current trends and the latest in technological advancements. The act of participation in professional organizations should start within the professional clubs-at the university level, which provides the student an opportunity to practice administrative philosophies and theories which were presented in the classroom. The underlying function

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of the student sections within state organizations is to better prepare the student in their pursuit of a career in the field of recreation. Those professionals that actively contribute to professional organizations find less time to complain about what the organization does not achieve. The student is able to contribute to professionalism by being aware of and working with professional organizations.

Standards play a key role in the justification of a profession in that rules provide a model to be followed. The student has a responsibility as a professional to become familiar with the standards that face the field of recreation. Since standards are formulated by constituency groups or special committees, the student is in no position to sit back and accept changes without being fully aware of the ramifications that may be involved. Compliance to the standards of registration/certification continue on a voluntary basis and there is indeed controversy on both sides of the issue. "There is little doubt that if a magic button were pressed tomorrow which required all people filling full-time park and recreation positions to be registered, the motivation of those practicing or seeking entrance into the field would be enhanced dramatically."⁴ Another series of standards that make a number of significant contributions to the field are in the area of accreditation. The student must be cognizant of these standards that support professionalism as well as those that may have an impact on recreational agencies by means of federal and local legislation. Liability, high risk, assessment taxes, and decentralization are just a few of the issues currently under scrutiny. Operating in lieu of standards results in low levels of credibility and subsequently affects how the general population views professionalism in relation to recreation.

This discussion on student professionalism has been based upon the awareness and contributions involved in the areas of education, experience, professional organizations, and standards. The student must deal with each of these areas with the understanding that contributing to the professionalism of the field is equally important as inhaling information. The same concept applies to the practitioner as well as the student. "Though there will be disagreement on what constitutes professionalism, most thoughtful park and recreation professionals regard high standards of preparation, application, and personal integrity as essential."⁵ It appears that the concept of professionalism operates on a continuum that begins with the obligations of the student and is further developed through time. Tomorrow's level of professionalism in the field of recreation is dependent upon the awareness of today's student.

1 The New Merrlam — Webster Pocket Dictionary (New York: G and C. Merriam Co., 1964), p. 369.

2 Richard G. Kraus and Joseph E. Curtis. Creative Administration In Recreation and Parks (St. Louis: The C.V. Mosby Co., 1977), p. 2.

3 Donald Henkel. "...Professionalism,", Parks and Recreation 11 (July 1976), p. 52.

4 Patricia A. Delaney, "... Registration/Certification", Parks and Recreation 11 (July 1976), p. 78.

5 Henkel, p.53.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 15 November/December, 1979