The focus of this issue is recreation programming. Throughout the
magazine, you will find articles highlighting various aspects of
recreation—from the personnel function in programming to meeting the public's changing demands.
As your agency evaluates its recreation programming and the
direction it will take in the future, consider the following motivators
identified by Americans in a study recently conducted by Leisure
Trends/Gallup:
• Recuperation—94% of those surveyed relaxed and recuperated by staying home and watching television or video programs.
• Tenacity—95% indicated they like to finish what they start.
• Hands-On—81 % revealed a desire to work with their hands.
• Sociable—more than 75% declared they were more sociable
than unsociable, but this tendency diminishes with age.
• Intellectual—68% (increasing to 75% after age 65) used their
leisure time to stimulate and satisfy intellectual curiosity.
• Pleasure-seeking—64% indicated that they were more pleasure-seeking than not. This motivator remains fairly constant
across age groups, with young adults and those over 65 years
having the highest attraction.
• Competitive—64% stated they were more competitive than
not, and the percentage declines with age.
• Escape—there is a great variation within this motivation
category. Escaping is more popular with younger and older
individuals; there is less desire to escape in mid-adulthood.
• Ambition—only 33% identified this motivator, with larger
numbers at the higher and lower age bracket.
