Recreational sports spectrum: five unique participation opportunities

Recreation Sports

Recreational sport is termed as ones involvement in sporting activities during their leisure time. This can be an individual's involvement as an active participant or even as a spectator. This can be at any level of the leisure sport hierarchy. There are sporting activities that are designed for all, this gives everyone an active role in the sport. They do not put into consideration age, gender, race, or a persons athletic ability. These are thus termed as sports for all.

On the other hand there are those that are participant driven in that the people who program this sport put into consideration the specific interest and efforts on the specific wants and needs of the participant. Recreational sport targets all age groups i.e. children, adolescents, youth, adults and even senior citizens. These recreational sports can occur either indoors for example badminton, ice-skating, gymnasiums for basketball and many more. They can also occur outdoor for instance golf courses, soccer, tennis courts and so on. This paper will look at the recreational sports spectrum in terms of the unique opportunities that it represents for participation. There are five opportunities and they will be discussed below.

Instructional sports

This entails the teaching of a recreational sport activity. This teaching takes place in an environment that is non-academic and noncredit. During the process of teaching emphasis is put on the skills that one is required to master. There is also emphasis on the rules that are associated to the particular sport. For instance, in the game of tennis there are various skills that can be taught an example is the serving skill that if mastered enables one to serve and the serve lands in the service box on a fly. Therefore for the ball from a baseline to land into the box it needs to be hit from up and not from down. The learner can also be taken through rules such as the serving rule which is that for a good serve, it should be put in play from the correct area of the court i.e. behind the baseline (Ellyn, 2012).

Informal sports

This involves sports that participation is directed by an individual. The approach to these sports is with the main aim of having fun and keeping fit by the individual. This can be for instance a run after one has taken lunch so that the person remains fit. Another example is during a picnic that has been arranged by friends, there can be playing of games such as volleyball just to have fun.

Intramural sports

This may include organization of tournaments, leagues or contests. This are organized and take place within a particular setting. Examples of intramural sports include playing of various sports during special events such as a tournament organized and arranged to be played during a public holiday. There can also be tournaments that have been arranged between schools. Leagues can be organized between various clubs in a country.

Extramural sports

These are events or activities that have been arranged structurally. They are mostly between the winners of individual groups or teams that won in intramural sporting events. There can be national championships that have been organized between the teams that won in respective teams in a particular area. These teams in that particular area can be maybe football teams of universities in a particular region of a country. These teams then face each other at national football championship event.

Club sports

This include events that have been put in place or specifically organized within individuals, groups or teams with a common interest in a particular sport .this include a wide range of clubs that are competitive. This clubs travel and play in competitions that are of high level. This can also involve instructional clubs that are involved in organizing activities such as tournaments that are in-house or instruction of basic skills. Examples of club sports include a youth club that plays soccer, a swimming club, a basketball club and many more clubs that are popular within the public.

All these opportunities in the recreational sports spectrum can take place in various settings. This include churches, military cases, correctional facilities, commercial facilities, schools, resorts that people take vacations in, clubs which cab be private or public just to mention but a few. There are many benefits that can be associated with recreational sports which can be to the individual or the community at large these include: interactions at a social level, improvement of an individual's health and physical improvement, enjoying of the activities, important social cultural learning environments are provided, development of integrity, learning and sharing of community values, reduces antisocial behavior such as crime and vandalism amongst others.