"Park district" is not a four-letter word

by
Paul Klicker
Arlington Heights Park District

It was the first semester of my junior year. Most of my basic studies requirements had been met and I was excited about the opportunity to begin taking upper level courses to complete a degree in recreation and parks administration.

During a class discussion about careers in recreation, I'll never forget the following statement during a lecture,"There is no money to be made in recreation." This statement was followed by examples of budget cuts in public park and recreation agencies and the inability to open facilities because of high insurance premiums required to protect agencies from law suits.

Like most 20-year-olds, I had more goals than just making enough money to get by. Somewhat confused, I made an appointment to meet with a career counselor in an effort to discuss possible career alternatives.

After meeting with the counselor, I decided recreation was still the field I wanted to pursue, although salary concerns still lingered in my mind. The counselor and I discussed my concerns for being able to generate a sufficient income to live a comfortable life. We discussed the possible careers in commercial recreation and I was led to believe that a comfortable income could be achieved in profit-oriented recreation agencies.

Armed with this new information, I felt better about why I was pursuing a career in recreation. I also had a reason to give to my parents, the people helping finance my education, why I was going to stay in the recreation field.

Apparently, I was not the only student with concerns about low pay and the possible careers in park districts. During the next class session, discussion continued with students characterizing a typical park district as dull, traditionally programmed, budget-tied, and a baby-sitting service for the taxpayers. The teacher did nothing to change our dismal views of park districts. From that point on, "park district" was viewed as a dirty work, and much like your parents taught you at a young age, you don't use four-letter words.

At the request of the students, career opportunities in the field of resort and commercial recreation were presented by the instructor. There was a new excitement in the classroom as we discussed water parks, ski hills, health clubs, vacation resorts, amusement parks, and the management of professional athletic organizations.

The instructor recognized the new enthusiasm by the class in the commercial recreation field. As a result, he changed the class syllabus schedule of projects to include profit-making operations.

With the negative picture we had painted of park districts, how was a public agency going to compete with the glamour and freestyle management associated with commercial recreation facilities? The choice was simple. Based on the lack of park district information, commercial recreation seemed to be the right choice. From that day on, I put on blinders and developed commercial recreation tunnel vision.

After taking a few jobs in private health clubs, the commer-

cial recreation area that interested me most, I realized this field was not all it was portrayed to be. Advancement was very limited. Pay scale differences between graduates and non-graduates were nonexistent, and the freestyle management opportunities were only available to the person on top of the chain of command.

It became evident that a dictatorship management style was in effect. So, with one semester before my internship, I was back to square one.

Once again, confused about my future, I interviewed with a park district agency as a class requirement for the pre-intern experience. Fortunately, I stumbled upon the answer to clear up my confusion. Similar to commercial recreation, the Facilities Section of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) provides opportunities similar to the private sector. The facility section offered a new field of promising careers.

Why had I never heard of the facility section before? Was it because the instructors did not know about these facilities? Was it because the students were interested in commercial recreation only? Was it because the instructors were teaching what the students wanted to hear?

The answers to these questions lie within each university recreation department. Each student will have to objectively evaluate his own situation.

Facility Management Section

Aquatic centers, golf courses, community centers, racquet facilities, ice arenas, health clubs, nature centers, and zoos make up the Facility Management Section of IPRA. The career possibilities are endless because of the diverse fields and the growing number of facilities being acquired by park districts.

"Park district careers also provide attractive opportunities for advancement. "

Also, to the recreation major's benefit, park district jobs require an undergraduate degree in Recreation Administration or similar field. Profit-oriented enterprises solicit a vast degree of majors competing for one job due to its open job requirements. In addition, it has been my experience to find salaries, benefits and job security to be greater in park district agencies.

Park district careers also provide attractive opportunities for advancement. Most allow for continuing education such as seminars and conferences to keep employees current of the evergrowing field of recreation.

Another advantage is the opportunity to network. This is a plus because you're allowed to make contacts with other professionals which may open doors to other career opportunities. You may not find this openness in the private sector because everyone wants to protect his ideas and employees.

In the public sector, it has been my experience that everyone is willing to help each other.

The student is currently in the driver's seat when determining his future. It is next to impossible during your college years to honestly assess what career you want to pursue. That is why it's very important to gather as much information as you can from your classes.

Your teachers should understand the profession. Challenge them with your questions and concerns. Get a broad-based education and stay open minded to all possibilities. When choosing an intemship site, consider the following factors: experiences to be gained; the variety of facilities where the student will work; the reputation of the agency; the quality of people you'll be working with; and the work-placement ratio of the student after the internship.

The practical experiences students gain during their internships will help them secure their first jobs and will allow them to continue using these experiences for years to come. A diverse internship will help the students gain experience in many areas which should benefit the graduates entering the job market.

A wide variety of possibilities exist out there. Be open to every aspect of recreation; don't be afraid to ask questions and remember, no matter how professional you want to be, it doesn't hurt to use four-lettered words like "park district'' every once in a while.

Advice for the agencies

With the great number of interest areas in the recreation field, the agency must do a better job of marketing its internship programs and job opportunities to the students and teachers. Get the message out to the teachers so the message is relayed to the students. The teacher is the primary source by which agencies can contact these future professionals.

The agency must also get involved in camps and activities such as internship/fieldwork interaction days. This is the agency's chance to let prospective interns know what the agency has to offer and also give directions to the younger students. Thirdly, not all students who work in Illinois go to school in Illinois. Agencies should not ignore the educational institutions in neighboring states. Lastly, the image the agency presents to the instructors and students will determine the types of interns recruited. If you want quality, offer quality.

Students are our greatest natural resource. In order to create a strong foundation for our profession in the future, it is critical to recruit these students for public park and recreation positions. Therefore, as professionals, it is our responsibility to get the news out to the students. Let them know what the future holds in park districts.

It will take a combined effort among agencies, students and universities. Take it upon yourself and help stop the employee shortages of the future. What we do now with the student will be a direct reflection on the quality of park and recreation agencies in the years to come.