Recreation lives in the inner-city

The public parks and recreation movement grew out of the late 19th century social welfare movement. The first public recreation programs focused on youth – what we might call today, “youth at risk”. Names synonymous with the social welfare movement (Jane Adams, Joseph Lee, Luther Gulick and others) were part of the playground movement. In the 100 plus years of change playgrounds have moved to parks and agencies are park and recreation departments, districts, or leisure service agencies. As American has grown more affluent and supercenters have become more prevalent, many began to wonder if there was still a social welfare aspect of public recreation.

I’m not a city person. My roots are in the midwest. In communities of 130,000 or less and mostly less. Students from our programs rarely have contact with inner cities, large urban areas, or with programs focusing on lower income groups. We recently toured facilities in Louisville, KY and if I might quote one of our students, “We can sense in your actions and your words the commitment you have to recreation and to the people you serve. It is a pleasure to learn from you.” This came at the end of the first day of touring just a couple of recreation centers and visiting with the staff of many of the centers.

Most university park and recreation students in the midwest do not work in the inner-city, nor do they have much contact. The trip to Louisville was an important growth experience for the students and for the faculty. It has been too long since we listened to committed professionals talk about safe-places, life-changing experiences, opportunities to grow, personal commitment, a second chance, and more. Daily this group of outstanding professionals put our profession into action working with youth who may not have anyone else. Their hearts are tugged, the pocketbooks are not bulging, and yet most nights they go home feeling they have made a difference. This remains the core of what recreation is about.

Sure, they worry about budgets, about revenue generation, about improving the quality of life. When they talk about improving the quality of life, they are talking about changing people in small, yet important ways. In ways most of us no longer discuss. They are not focusing on the new supercenter, or the next hot revenue source. Rather they are focusing on people, people in need, people who have no-one else, people who probably would fall through the cracks and become a dredge to society rather than a contributor. These recreation professionals understand why they are in the business, why they chose this way of life, and they love what they do. It shows every time they talk and act. As Tom Peters might say, “They walk the walk and talk the talk”. It was a joy and pleasure to visit with them. My faith in the profession is rekindled.

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