Recreational activities are actions undertaken for amusement, pleasure, and enjoyment. These activities provide an avenue through which individuals in society can find appropriate diversions from the hustles of everyday life. Americans are embracing recreation activities as a result of increased industrialization and urbanization ( Gullion, p. 522) . The recreational movement was necessitated by the need to counter societal issues resulting from the excessive amounts of time that people spend at work.
Discussion
The recreation movement was aimed at improving the wellbeing of society by providing an outlet to vent out the pressures of work through recreation ( Gullion, p. 522) . Today, there are many recreational activities. These activities are either public or private, free, or paid for in terms of membership. The growth of the recreation industry has provided numerous employment opportunities owing to the competitive nature of this industry despite the financial challenges they face.
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The diversification and segmentation of the recreational industry is a reflection of its evolution. Organizational structures in the recreational sector are also parameters that define the segment to which a recreational activity or group is identified. The following are the main types of recreations:
Community-based recreation is determined by the collective nature inherent in participants in their quest to achieve a shared interest. Public recreational activities also comprise of individuals with a common interest ( Gullion, p. 526) . However, public and community-based recreations differ in terms of their coverage. Community-based recreational organizations are locally based, while public recreational organizations deal with recreation on a national or federal level. Financing of these two segments of recreation also differs as community-based recreation is funded majorly through local initiative. At the same time, the federal government has a budgetary allocation for public recreation ( Gullion, p. 526) .
Military recreation is another segment present in the recreation industry. The main objective behind military recreation is the overall fitness of military personnel and for boosting morale. However, this segment also provides recreational opportunities to the families of enlisted personnel, as well as availing its services to veterans and injured soldiers ( Gullion, p. 527) .
Outdoor recreation is a recreation segment that attracts outdoor enthusiasts and has been expanding significantly in recent years. Primarily, this recreational segment employs approximately 6.5 million individuals as well as constituting around 8% of the national expenditure in the United States ( Gullion, p. 527) . University outdoor programs also reflect diversity in outdoor recreation. Through these programs, universities can avail students with an avenue for the development of instructional and leadership skills.
Therapeutic recreation is another segment in this industry that mainly deals with the improvement of the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of individuals. In practice, this segment encompasses rehabilitation and treatment in health care facilities, schools, and social service agencies ( Gullion, p. 528) .
Despite the common challenges in this industry, it provides various employment opportunities. For instance, the National Forest Service, which forms part of the public recreation segment, employs approximately 30 000 employees ( Gullion, p. 526) . Similarly, all sectors in this industry require professional managers to oversee the day-to-day running of their operation. However, financial constraints present a challenge for community-based, public, and military recreational activities. The problems, in this case, relate to reduced sponsorship and budgetary caps placed on these segments of the industry.
Society derives several benefits from recreational activities. From pleasure to much-needed therapy, recreational activities have been growing in diversity over the years. An increased variety of these activities has resulted in the segmentation of this industry into sections dealing with specific aspects of recreation. Despite the challenges in this industry, today, it still employs a significant number of people in society. Indeed, the recreation industry has evolved due to diversification and segmentation.
Reference
Gullion. (nd). Recreational sport. pp. 521-35
