August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Top 10 Things a Recreator Ought to Remember
By David Waddell
I
adapted the following from a presentation given by Frank Hart Smith
to new church recreation directors (tinyurl.com/yr7zkarj). The words
are important for all facets of recreation leadership.
sists of routines and patterns. Take
joy in the days that are " normal "
and " ordinary. " We get more of
those types of days.
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Be a recreated and a
re-created recreator. Our
industry has the potential
for workaholism. We work during
the day to create memorable events
for our customers and then work
evenings and weekends during the
events. So, keep the balance in your
life.
Remember the worth of
the individual. We are in
the people business. While
some people can get on our nerves, it
is still our task to provide them with
activities that improve their quality
of life. Abraham Lincoln said, " If
you look for the bad in people expecting
to find it, you surely will. "
Experience the excitement
of the ordinary encounter.
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Extraordinary
days
are rare - for example, the
announcement of a new job, marriage,
birth of a child, etc. Life con10
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Be a lazy leader. Learn
to delegate and trust
your team. Don't do
anything you can get someone else
to do for you. Define success by
how many people you involve in
shared leadership.
Water not the spark. A
girl at camp mixed up the
metaphors of " Fan the
spark and water the seed. " As leaders,
let's not destroy dreams and
creative ideas. Instead, let your
team try new and outlandish program
possibilities.
Realize the necessity of
integrity, the one thing
no one can take from
you. A mentor told me repeatedly,
" The three things that get leaders in
trouble are money, sex and a good
story about either of the first two. "
Reputation is what others think of
you. Integrity is what you know
about yourself.
Appreciate your
staff
and honor them by taking
your day off. Train
your team well enough that you
can be away without it being a major
catastrophe.
David Waddell is a Lecturer of Sport and
Recreation Administration at the
University of Mississippi (dwaddell@
olemiss.edu).
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Remember your family
and friends. Whether
it's a marriage, partnership
or friendship, be careful that
work does not inhibit your intimate
relationships. Instead, take
the time to enjoy those closest to
you.
Know the value of both
definitions of organization.
Maintain your
organization by keeping a calendar
and task list. I know from experience
it's best to double check
the calendar before setting other
appointments. It's equally important
to understand the organization
in which you work. Know
the protocol of communication
and follow it.
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Don't stop learning.
John Wooden, Harry S.
Truman and Earl Weaver
said, " It's what you learn after
you know it all that counts. " In
our industry, most leaders have
college degrees to prepare them
for work in this field. Conferences,
seminars and webinars are
helpful for continuing education.
They keep us up to date with new
techniques and methods.
Remember these items and remember
them for a long time.
http://tinyurl.com/yr7zkarj
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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