Careers in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
Leisure Services Management
Tourism Management; Hospitality Management; Commercial Recreation; Community Parks and Recreation.
The Leisure Services Management option focuses on the provision of leisure-related facilities, products, services, and opportunities by private enterprise, local government, and certain non-profit agencies. A wide variety of businesses and agencies offer student internships including: Park City, Deer Valley, and Snowbird Ski Resorts; the Salt Lake City Convention and Visitors Bureau; Marriott Hotels; Grand America; Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Department; the YWCA; and numerous other sport clubs, ski shops, tour operators, and other enterprises. In addition, students have an opportunity to earn the Hospitality Operations Certificate offered through the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
The basic components of leisure services management include the provision of programs, products, services and facilities needed for leisure-time activity. The abilities required for success include a variety of business-related, technical, and human-relations skills. Professionals must have managerial, accounting, financial and analytical skills, along with marketing, public relations, and leadership abilities. Among the most important attributes of a successful professional are the ability to get along with other people, creativity, and, most of all, the ability to promote the product, service, facility, or experience.
Natural Resources Recreation Planning and Management
The Natural Resource Recreation Planning and Management option prepares the student to develop and administer programs and facilities in agencies that manage outdoor recreation resources. Students may gain experience with the National Park Service, Utah State Parks, United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Scouts, campus outdoor programs, and many other outdoor recreation agencies and private corporations.
Professionals manage natural resources while providing opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors. Managing this balance between recreational activity and environmental protection is not easy. Professionals must understand the natural sciences, visitor behavior, and outdoor recreation activities; have excellent communication skills; be able to supervise other employees; maintain natural areas; and plan for proper use of the natural environment.
Therapeutic Recreation
The Therapeutic Recreation option involves the provision of treatment services and the provision of recreation services to persons with illness or disabling conditions. The primary purposes of treatment services, which are referred to as Recreational Therapy, are to restore, remediate or rehabilitate, in order to improve functioning and independence as well as reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability. The primary purposes of Recreational Services are to provide recreation resources and opportunities in order to improve health and well-being. Recreation therapy is provided by professionals who are educated, certified, and licensed to provide Therapeutic Recreation (American Therapeutic Recreation Association, 1987).
The Therapeutic Recreation curriculum prepares students for the national certification exam and the requirements of Utah State Licensure. Students gain the skills to work with individuals of varying abilities in the health care industry as well as community-based settings. Ideal student attributes include a desire to serve people, creativity, excellent communication skills, and the ability to recognize and manage for client safety.
Adventure and Outdoor Programs
The Adventure and Outdoor Programs emphasis focuses on preparing students to facilitate hands-on learning activities in a variety of settings. Potential employers of students completing degrees in adventure and outdoor programming include: the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Outward Bound, and other guide services; residential and/or expedition-based therapeutic wilderness programs or camps; day, residential, or environmental camps for "traditional" or special populations; community recreation centers and programs (such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, SPLORE, etc.); ropes courses and other adventure facilities; public and private schools; and more.
This emphasis provides students with opportunities to develop skills in group dynamics and leadership, business administration, and teaching and communication. Students also have the opportunity to acquire and enhance outdoor and environmental skills and knowledge related to a wide variety of populations. Specialized skills within this emphasis include sequencing, facilitation, and processing of activities, with specific attention to the transfer of learning from programmed experiences to the "real lives" of participants. In addition, the abilities to safely engage in and provide outdoor recreation activities, manage risk, and effectively teach skills in an outdoor or experiential setting are central to the field of Adventure and Outdoor Programming. Ideal student attributes include a desire to serve people, the ability to improvise, the ability to function effectively under pressure, and the ability to recognize and manage for participant safety.
Sport Management
The Sport Management emphasis focuses on preparing individuals with interests in managing sport programs, activities and events for children, youth, adults and seniors. There are a variety of roles that a specialist in Sport Management may assume including direct leadership of sport activities, supervision of seasonal sport leagues and instructional programs, marketing sport activities in a city or county park and recreation department, organizing and managing local tournaments in baseball, softball, basketball, golf, tennis, soccer, etc., as well as planning and leading the instruction of coaches, referees, seasonal and part time staff, budgeting, evaluating, and overseeing the maintenance of fields, aquatic facilities, gymnasia, golf courses and other sport facilities.
Sports managers are employed as supervisors, managers, directors and coordinators in local public park and recreation departments, not-for-profit organizations such as the YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, sport specific organizations such as AYSO, PAL, etc., and as sporting event planners for everything from fun runs to the Olympics, and in professional sport organizations. Students trained in sport management enjoy career opportunities at the local, state, national and international levels. This is one of the fastest growing career areas and it provides excellent opportunities for placement.