BASIC PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS Chapter 1. PROGRAM A program is a designed opportunity for leisure experience to occur. A program is a designed opportunity.

BASIC PROGRAMMINGBASIC PROGRAMMINGCONCEPTSCONCEPTS

Chapter 1Chapter 1

PROGRAMPROGRAM

A program is a designed opportunity for leisure A program is a designed opportunity for leisure experience to occur.experience to occur.

An elastic concept used to describe a variety of An elastic concept used to describe a variety of different operations, including activities, events, different operations, including activities, events, or services conducted by leisure service or services conducted by leisure service organizations.organizations.

It can refer to a single activity, such as a bike ride It can refer to a single activity, such as a bike ride or a class operated over several weeks.or a class operated over several weeks.

It can refer to a collection of activities or to a It can refer to a collection of activities or to a single event such as a softball tournament.single event such as a softball tournament.

It can also refer to the total set of operations It can also refer to the total set of operations offered by an agency, including all of its offered by an agency, including all of its activities, events, and services.activities, events, and services.

The ultimate goal of programming is to The ultimate goal of programming is to facilitate leisure experiences for program facilitate leisure experiences for program patrons.patrons.

Accomplishing this requires that the Accomplishing this requires that the programmer learn the concepts that tie programmer learn the concepts that tie together experiencing leisure, the together experiencing leisure, the definition of a program, the act of definition of a program, the act of programming, and the management of programming, and the management of activities that must be implemented in an activities that must be implemented in an agency to produce programs.agency to produce programs.

Leisure is construed by how a Leisure is construed by how a participant processes his or her participant processes his or her experiences of a program and experiences of a program and interprets what has occurred.interprets what has occurred.

Leisure is a multi-phase experienceLeisure is a multi-phase experienceLeisure, play, recreation, games and Leisure, play, recreation, games and

sport must be programmed sport must be programmed differentlydifferently

PROGRAMMINGPROGRAMMING

Programming is designing leisure Programming is designing leisure opportunities by intervening in social opportunities by intervening in social interaction, that is, by manipulating interaction, that is, by manipulating and creating environments in a and creating environments in a manner that maximizes the manner that maximizes the probability that those who enter probability that those who enter them will have the leisure them will have the leisure experiences they seek.experiences they seek.

Individuals achieve satisfaction from Individuals achieve satisfaction from a leisure experience depending on a leisure experience depending on how they guide and interpret their how they guide and interpret their participation in the leisure activity.participation in the leisure activity.

Designing social interactions that will Designing social interactions that will facilitate the leisure experience must facilitate the leisure experience must be based on knowledge about be based on knowledge about experiencing leisure and how it is experiencing leisure and how it is produced in social activities.produced in social activities.

It is the responsibility of the It is the responsibility of the programmer to design programs with programmer to design programs with participation processes that will participation processes that will facilitate participants’ opportunities facilitate participants’ opportunities to engage in actions that will result in to engage in actions that will result in a leisure experience.a leisure experience.

HOW a program is delivered is HOW a program is delivered is important.important.

Modern programmers must Modern programmers must understand that leisure is a multi-understand that leisure is a multi-phase experience and plan for total phase experience and plan for total participation by including the three participation by including the three phases of human experience:phases of human experience:

AnticipationAnticipationParticipationParticipation reflectionreflection

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTPROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Program development is the overall Program development is the overall management process in which the management process in which the programmer designs, manages, and programmer designs, manages, and delivers program services within the delivers program services within the context of a specific agency.context of a specific agency.This includes understanding and This includes understanding and

developing an agency’s mission, developing an agency’s mission, assessing needs, designing programs, assessing needs, designing programs, delivering them, and evaluating them to delivering them, and evaluating them to document the benefits that have been document the benefits that have been provided.provided.

The programmer must learn to The programmer must learn to manage program services successfully manage program services successfully within an organizational context.within an organizational context.

Successful program development Successful program development results in programs that meet the results in programs that meet the needs of the agency, patrons, and the needs of the agency, patrons, and the community.community.

Programming is one key function in Programming is one key function in program development.program development.

ExerciseExercise

Compare the definitions of program, Compare the definitions of program, programming and program programming and program development.development.How do the three concepts differ?How do the three concepts differ?What is the role of the programmer in What is the role of the programmer in

each of them?each of them?

LEISURE COMPRISES ALL!!LEISURE COMPRISES ALL!!

GamesGamesRecreationRecreationPlayPlaySportSport

GAMESGAMES

Leisure experiences with formal rules Leisure experiences with formal rules that define the interactional content, that define the interactional content, attempt to equalize the players, and attempt to equalize the players, and define the role that skill and chance define the role that skill and chance will play in determining the outcome.will play in determining the outcome.

This applies to table games, athletic This applies to table games, athletic contests and other gaming contests and other gaming situations.situations.

Must define the focus of the contest Must define the focus of the contest and exactly what is being contested.and exactly what is being contested.

Cont.Cont.

Leisure service professionals must Leisure service professionals must understand the function of rules in understand the function of rules in games, because much game games, because much game programming involves modifying programming involves modifying rules or facilities to allow those with rules or facilities to allow those with insufficient skills to participate.insufficient skills to participate.

RECREATIONRECREATION

Leisure that is engaged in for the Leisure that is engaged in for the attainment of personal and social attainment of personal and social benefits.benefits.

Has always been characterized as socially Has always been characterized as socially purposeful and moral; that is, it purposeful and moral; that is, it incorporates a rightness and a wrongness.incorporates a rightness and a wrongness.

““It is a worthwhile, socially accepted It is a worthwhile, socially accepted leisure experience that provides leisure experience that provides immediate and inherent satisfaction to the immediate and inherent satisfaction to the individual who voluntarily participates.”individual who voluntarily participates.”

Cont.Cont.

It is instrumental to work, because it It is instrumental to work, because it enables individuals to recuperate and enables individuals to recuperate and restore themselves in order to accomplish restore themselves in order to accomplish more work.more work.

It has been used as a diversion from It has been used as a diversion from government repression, war, economic government repression, war, economic depression, congested urban conditions, depression, congested urban conditions, and so forth.and so forth.

There are good and bad forms of There are good and bad forms of recreational use of timerecreational use of time

PLAYPLAY Leisure with childlike characteristics of Leisure with childlike characteristics of

spontaneity, self expression, and the spontaneity, self expression, and the creation of a non-serious realm of meaning.creation of a non-serious realm of meaning.

Incorporates a dualism that distinguishes it Incorporates a dualism that distinguishes it from the real world. It also involves a lack of from the real world. It also involves a lack of seriousness in which interaction is free seriousness in which interaction is free flowing, and it progresses from place to flowing, and it progresses from place to place and takes on new forms as focus, place and takes on new forms as focus, needs, and demands.needs, and demands.

It is the most spontaneous form of leisure It is the most spontaneous form of leisure behavior, and its occurrence depends totally behavior, and its occurrence depends totally on the consent and conscious participation on the consent and conscious participation of the players.of the players.

Cont.Cont.

To “play with” an object, person, or To “play with” an object, person, or an idea is to experience the meaning an idea is to experience the meaning of the object, person, or idea in a of the object, person, or idea in a fundamentally new way.fundamentally new way.

Play is one of the most difficult forms Play is one of the most difficult forms of leisure to program.of leisure to program.

SPORTSPORT

Leisure that involves institutionalized Leisure that involves institutionalized competitive physical activity.competitive physical activity.

Can be thought of as a game whose Can be thought of as a game whose rules require physical competition.rules require physical competition.

Many programmers are engaged in Many programmers are engaged in organizing sport competitions and organizing sport competitions and managing sport venues.managing sport venues.

Cont.Cont.

Is a professional athletes Is a professional athletes participation in sport, leisure?participation in sport, leisure?

3 Key components define sport:3 Key components define sport:Physical exertion Physical exertion RulesRulesCompetition of physical skillsCompetition of physical skills

Cont.Cont. Most sports are games with rules that Most sports are games with rules that

function like the game rules previously function like the game rules previously discussed, except that all sport games discussed, except that all sport games involve physical exertion and are contests of involve physical exertion and are contests of physical skill.physical skill.

Rules affect the character of a game, Rules affect the character of a game, including the strategies used to compete and including the strategies used to compete and the skills that may be needed to participate.the skills that may be needed to participate.

Programming sporting competitions will Programming sporting competitions will inevitably involve the programmer in rule inevitably involve the programmer in rule discussions as teams try to manipulate rules discussions as teams try to manipulate rules to assure themselves of a competitive to assure themselves of a competitive advantage on the playing field.advantage on the playing field.

Much of the recreation programmer’s time may be Much of the recreation programmer’s time may be spent in organizing participation in youth sports. The spent in organizing participation in youth sports. The programmer will be working with adult groups who programmer will be working with adult groups who organize and operate youth sports.organize and operate youth sports.

Currently, the focus of programmers in operating Currently, the focus of programmers in operating youth sports has been to improve the skills of adults youth sports has been to improve the skills of adults coaching youth and to deal with the behavior of coaching youth and to deal with the behavior of parents who attend youth sport games.parents who attend youth sport games.

To ensure that youth may play in a non-threatening To ensure that youth may play in a non-threatening environment, agencies have instituted various environment, agencies have instituted various regulating policies and practices such as “SILENT regulating policies and practices such as “SILENT SUNDAY’S”, where parents are not allowed to cheer.SUNDAY’S”, where parents are not allowed to cheer.

So, in a nutshellSo, in a nutshell

PLAY: PLAY: SpontaneitySpontaneitySelf-expressionSelf-expressionNon-seriousnessNon-seriousness

RECREATION:RECREATION:RestorationRestorationSocial purposeSocial purposeMoralityMorality

GAMES:GAMES:Rule-boundedRule-boundedCo-equal playersCo-equal playersControl of skill and chanceControl of skill and chanceProblematic outcomeProblematic outcome

SPORT:SPORT:Physical exertionPhysical exertionStandardizing rulesStandardizing rulesCompetition of physical skillsCompetition of physical skills

ExerciseExercise

Discuss the differences among Discuss the differences among programming sport, play, games, programming sport, play, games, and recreation.and recreation.1. How do the differences among these 1. How do the differences among these

4 forms of leisure demand different 4 forms of leisure demand different programming approaches?programming approaches?

2. Which of these 4 forms of leisure is 2. Which of these 4 forms of leisure is the most difficult to program? Why? the most difficult to program? Why?