sports & leisure

ball and glove








	Current State of Affairs Positive: Today the use of leisure time is only restricted by the imagination of the participants, samples of leisure time activates include; bird watching, scrap booking, skiing, soccer, hockey, watching television, theatre going, computer games, travel, and as spectators watching others do these activities. Tourism is the fastest growing industry and is expected to continue that way until 2050. Most would agree there is an ever increasing need to refresh the body and the mind with some kind of recreational activity Negative: Surveys indicate many people are opting for passive activities such as watching television or watching others participate in such activities as automobile racing, other pro-sports, and passive computer games. Articles published in 2002 state that from 1981-1996 the number of over weight 13 year-old boys tripled from 11% to 33% of the population while the girls more then doubled from 13% to 27% In 1995, 21 000 Canadians died prematurely because they did not get enough exercise. Many people are involved in active sports but the new consumer society promote the buying of expensive items as just as important as participating in such sports and therefore eliminate many people from participating Professional entertainment is expensive, concert tickets at a cost of $100 per ticket, a trip to the Air Canada center for a Family of four, would be over $400. This is an expense that most families cannot afford. The ethical side of professional entertainment needs to be discussed with the entertainers being paid millions of dollars while health and education cannot be funded at reasonable rates The government has recently moved into the gambling field in the form of lotteries and casinos and is promoting it as a leisure activity Blasts from the Past The use of leisure time has been recorded in many ways by past societies; Example, artistic drawings in caves, story telling around campfires, the playing of simple games by children, and the development of the ancient Olympics in Greece to satisfy the human need for recreation Leisure time was typically an activity for the wealthy until recently, however with the development of the middle class and the advent of mechanization, leisure time is now available to both the urban and rural communities. Plato, in his writing, discussed the importance of using leisure time in productive ways and its ramifications to society Future World Margaret Mead suggested the home will become the center of leisure, some trends are beginning to develop, use of home entertainment center, home gym and the use of the computer to access the outside world, she suggested “you make a nest for the coming storm.” Faith Popcorn coined the phrase “Cocooning” which focuses on the growing need to protect oneself from the harsh unpredictable realities of the outside world Fantasy Adventure, an escape from stress and boredom, consumers crave excitement and stimulation in essentially risk-free adventure. Questions Will leisure time continue to increase? How do we insure that the time is used in a productive manner? What is productive leisure and how would you define it? Should government be involved in leisure time activities? What is the role of government in developing leisure time programmes? Is it appropriate that our society develops leisure time activities based on affordability? What is the role of the private sector in developing leisure time activities? What form will leisure time activities take in the future? Is gambling, controlled by the government, an appropriate recreational activity? Is the increased use of drugs and alcohol a reflection of societies poor use of leisure time? Overview Leisure: Is defined as freedom provided by the cessation of activities; especially time free from work or duties. Background: Since the beginning of human activities leisure time has been available in limited amounts Leisure time is used for recreation in its many forms including both active and passive activities As society evolved greater amounts of leisure time have become available; Example, since the 19th century the typical work week in urban areas has decreased from a 60 hour week to a 35-40 hour week. This increased time can be used in positive and negative ways. How do Canadians use this time? Is it the best use of this time? Start by reading about the past, present and future by following the above links to Blasts from the Past, Current State of Affairs, and Future World. You can then explore External Links for Sports, Recreation & Leisure. http://www.newdream.org/thedream/fivethings.html http://www.newdream.org/ http://www2.bc.edu/~schorj/ http://www.canoe.ca/LifewiseWorkMarieclaire01/ http://speakers.com/popcorn.html http://www.byu.edu/cpe/swdaahperd/swdjournal.html http://www.journalwomen.com http://www.sportsforwomen.com http://www.brainreserve.com Finally, Participate in Pre-NEXUS Discussions. Refine your ideas and clarify your perceptions via discussions with your peers. You can access and participate in discussions via the NEXUS.eBoard.com conference site (student password = nexus). * At NEXUS, you and your peers will further refine and publish your ideas.