{"title":"Facilitators and Constraints: Toward an Understanding of Fathers’ Involvement in Their Children’s Youth Programs","authors":"Brooke N. Burk, I. Sharaievska","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2022-11228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2022-11228","url":null,"abstract":"A challenge for park and recreation youth programming is adequate adult support for programming facilitation. Many recreation programs, whether municipal or private organizations, struggle to attract and retain volunteer coaches, particularly fathers. In recognition of this challenge, we aimed to learn more about this challenge by comparing fathers’ and practitioners’ experiences with youth programming. In particular, we wanted to learn more about the constraints and facilitators to fathers’ engagement in youth programming leadership. Working and fathering both require time that can be in conflict with one another when it comes to father involvement. However, McGill (2014) suggests that work does not have a negative relationship with time for leisure even though at times work may be seen as a barrier to leisure. While fathers do not report diminished time for leisure, they do report a negative relationship between work and physical care for children (McGill, 2014). Fathers, whether employed or not, who feel that they play a significant role in their children’s development, are likely to preserve time in their day for engagement with their children. Those that feel they play a key role and have a responsibility to be involved in child development are likely to reduce their personal leisure time to be more engaged in their children’s leisure time (McGill, 2014). The concepts of constraints (Jackson, 1991) and facilitators (Raymore, 2002) were employed in this project. As a result, the purpose of this study was to better understand what facilitators and constraints are experienced by fathers when it comes to their engagement in youth programs of their children. More specifically, the objectives of the study were to explore: a) what facilitates fathers' involvement in their children’s youth programs, as perceived by fathers and youth program professionals; b) what constrains fathers’ involvement in youth programs, as perceived by fathers and youth program professionals. Our results suggest that a more concerted effort to recruit, train, and support fathers as volunteer program leaders is needed to address the concern about limited participation among fathers in their children’s leisure and recreation programs.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48469385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lina Xiong, J. Vaske, Jennifer Almstead, Zac Wiebe
{"title":"Open Space Visitors’ Attitudes toward Ebikes on Natural surface Trails","authors":"Lina Xiong, J. Vaske, Jennifer Almstead, Zac Wiebe","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2022-11346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2022-11346","url":null,"abstract":"This article examined visitors’ attitudes toward electric motorized bikes (ebikes) on natural surface trails and the reasons for support or opposition to ebikes. On-site survey data (n = 536) were obtained from visitors to Devil’s Backbone Open Space (DBOS) in Larimer County, Colorado in 2020. Findings suggested that visitors’ ebike attitudes differed by demographics (i.e., age, gender, residence), and trip characteristics (i.e., survey location, visits per year, primary activity). We also observed a positive correlation between perceived ebike familiarity and support. A content analysis of responses to an open-ended question revealed that concerns over safety, crowding, and beliefs that ebikes do not belong in natural environment were major reasons for opposing ebikes. The potential to expand trail access to people with mobility difficulties was the main reason for a supportive attitude. Visitors’ attitudes were also based on misperceptions about ebikes (e.g., ebikes are noisy), suggesting the need effective public communication. We suggested several practical recommendations managing ebikes in natural areas. First, correct information regarding ebikes (e.g., ebikes are generally quiet) needs to be disseminated. Ebike demonstration sites at popular trailheads would allow visitors to personally experience ebikes and better understand the technology. Information boards could describe ebikes’ mechanisms and environmental impact to clarify some misperceptions. Second, concerns with safety and speed could be addressed by developing comprehensive bike regulations (e.g., speed limits, trail etiquette education) for all bikers. Setting up speed limit signs and monitoring devices on trails might minimize some visitor concerns. Third, exceptions could be made for users with mobility disabilities; these exceptions should be advertised widely so all visitors were aware of and understand the exceptions.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47472055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Applying Theory of Change to the Sustainable Financing of Protected Areas","authors":"Louise O'Flynn, Stephen Schweinsberg, S. Wearing","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2022-11309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2022-11309","url":null,"abstract":"The sustainable financing of protected areas (PA) is a worldwide challenge and a barrier to the effective management of over 15% of global land area (Protected Planet, 2021). The purpose of the paper is to outline one approach that has been used to address the challenge of the sustainable financing of the publicly managed terrestrial PA estate in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Also, PA practitioners internationally may find the case study useful in addressing the challenge of insufficient funding for PAs under their care and control. The paper provides the Theory of Change (ToC) as a mechanism for the sustainable financing of the PA estate in NSW, identifying six pathways to change: government support, institutional effectiveness, appropriate business model, strategic planning and innovation, communication and advocacy, and collaboration and partnerships. It demonstrates how the success of each pathway depends on a suite of enabling conditions which help to dismantle the impediments to the sustainable financing of the PA estate. The ToC is intended to guide actions to address the sustainable financing of the PA estate and to achieve the overall impact of the effective management of PAs with respect to conservation and other aligned objectives. The ToC presented in the paper is focused on NSW, however it considers policy and management implications and lessons from the case study that can be applied to PAs in an international context.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46987363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Exploration of the Socioeconomic Benefits of Designating a Regional Park in the Severn Vale, UK","authors":"Katie Megan Cookes, A. Russo","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2022-11050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2022-11050","url":null,"abstract":"This study used qualitative research methods and GIS to explore the potential social and economic benefits of creating a regional park in the Severn Vale, Gloucestershire, UK. We first explored where the park boundary could potentially lie by a series of stages of suitability mapping in GIS. Subsequently, a mini focus group and three semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in relevant fields in order to obtain perceptions on what the socio-economic benefits could be of establishing a regional park. Perceptions and suggestions obtained from the data recommended how the regional park should incorporate addressing issues such as health inequalities, inclusivity of all segments of society, options for active and sustainable travel, community engagement, and the creation of a positive regional brand, into the managerial practices and design elements of the proposed Severn Vale Regional Park.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45967350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samantha L. Powers, Nicholas A. D. Pitas, A. Mowen
{"title":"Public Perceptions of Local Parks and Recreation as an Essential Community Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Samantha L. Powers, Nicholas A. D. Pitas, A. Mowen","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2022-11223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2022-11223","url":null,"abstract":"Local residents are the primary stakeholder for municipal parks and recreation who have the potential to influence funding and policy through their participation, voting, and advocacy. Research has suggested that individuals are more likely to support parks and recreation and view them as essential when they perceive they provide benefits that address their own as well as broader community needs. This panel study investigated Pennsylvania residents and the extent they considered parks and recreation an essential community service during the COVID-19 pandemic. It further assessed the rationale for why parks and recreation were considered either essential or non-essential during this time period. A majority of respondents (54%) felt local parks and recreation were an essential service in their community during the pandemic based primarily on their perceived contributions to physical health, mental health and wellbeing, and the safe provision of recreation opportunities. Conversely, parks and recreation were considered non-essential when they had been closed, when individuals were unsure of what services were actually provided during the pandemic, or they were perceived as unsafe or unsanitary given the presence of COVID-19. Findings provide evidence of the contributions provided by local parks and recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest influenceable factors associated with perceptions of whether parks and recreation are an essential community service.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41704673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Teresa Penbrooke, Michael Edwards, J. Bocarro, K. Henderson, J. Hipp
{"title":"Applying Systems Thinking Approaches to Address Preventive Health Factors through Public Parks and Recreation Agencies","authors":"Teresa Penbrooke, Michael Edwards, J. Bocarro, K. Henderson, J. Hipp","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2021-11007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2021-11007","url":null,"abstract":"Within the United States parks and recreation agencies (P&R) manage public facilities, spaces, lands, and recreation programs. Public health (PH) evidence has increasingly pointed to local public P&R agencies as critical for promoting preventive health. Programs and strategies are available, but most P&R agencies have limited resources and lack local knowledge on which to base actions. However, the research base is growing. The global research question has shifted from asking IF P&R agencies can positively affect PH factors, to HOW they can best do so with limited resources.This research adapted a systems theory approach to how local public P&R agencies are addressing health factors. Methods included a literature review along with iterative exploration through a three-stage Delphi panel study with 17 P&R agency Expert Panelists in the U.S and Canada. Panelists were identified through a waterfall selection process. Each had at least three years of senior administration experience with interest in addressing PH factors.The study explored which preventive factors appear to be most modifiable by P&R. Results indicated increased physical activity, improved nutrition, enhanced safety or perception of safety, increased social and parental engagement, improved transportation and access to locations (especially nature), and cessation or reduced overconsumption of tobacco and alcohol. However, the priority of factors varies by community, and the continuing challenge is determining the priority of the factors for agencies and their partners to address. Community-specific data are not typically readily available to P&R agencies. Programs, strategies, internal methods, policies, and documents utilized by agencies were collected. Thirty-one related national initiatives (programs) were identified and ranked by the panelists.Key common strategies for P&R were identified. Results indicated a need to focus strategies on leadership and adequate funding to create a strong organizational culture of systematic assessment for addressing PH through allocation of P&R staff and financial resources. Systems thinking analysis and strategies can improve outcomes for cultural ethics of inclusion and equity, equitable access to assets and programs, collaboration with other partners, utilization of crime prevention and environmental design strategies, increased health promotions and education, and centralized tracking and evaluation of feasible measures.Implications for research include needs for additional validation and dissemination of research, evidence-based tools, and proven methods. There continues to be a strong need to help address gaps in knowledge transfer between research and practice realms. Management implications suggest methods for practice to enhance systems-thinking approaches for better preventive health outcomes through P&R in communities.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47604563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development in and around National Parks","authors":"K. Bricker, N. Q. Lackey, L. Joyner","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2021-11113","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2021-11113","url":null,"abstract":"The proliferation of tourism to U.S. national parks yields increasing demands for service and conservation programs that are well-matched with the broadening view of sustainability management in and around PPAs. As such, there is a critical need for research regarding holistic perspectives on planning and monitoring sustainable development. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a non-profit, independent organization that develops and manages global baseline standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Destination Criteria have not been widely applied to PPAs, yet these criteria may offer a useful guiding framework for sustainable tourism development in PPAs. Therefore, this study explores the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria as a tool for assisting managers at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) in developing a destination-level sustainability plan. In August 2018, we conducted a sustainability evaluation using the GSTC Destination Criteria. Specific areas of success and improvement were identified, and park managers are using this information to improve the park’s strategic plan. The results of this evaluation are reviewed and critiqued within our broader assessment of the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria in national park planning.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46689116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of Concessioners on Sustainability in and around U.S. National Parks: A Case Study of Grand Teton National Park Concessioners","authors":"N. Q. Lackey, K. Bricker","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2021-11002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2021-11002","url":null,"abstract":"Concessioners play an important role in park and protected area management by providing visitor services. Historically, concessioners were criticized for their negative impacts on environmental sustainability. However, due to policy changes, technological advances, and shifting market demands, there is a need to reevaluate the role of concessioners in sustainable destination management in and around parks and protected areas. The purpose of this qualitative case study situated in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which was guided by social exchange theory, was to explore U.S. national park concessioners’ influence on sustainable development at the destination level from the perspective of National Park Service (NPS) staff, concessioners, and local community members. Sustainability was examined holistically as a multifaceted construct with integrated socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Twenty-three participants completed semistructured interviews. Researchers identified four thematic categories describing concessioners’ influence on sustainability; motivations and barriers to pursuing sustainability initiatives; and situational factors that facilitated concessioners’ sustainability actions. While participants commented on the negative environmental impacts of concessioners and their operations, these data suggest that concessioners were working individually and collaboratively to promote environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural sustainability in and around GTNP. Some concessioners were even described as leaders, testing and driving the development of innovative sustainability policies and practices. These actions were motivated, in part, by contractual obligations and profit generation. However, concessioners also had strong intangible motivators, such as intrinsic values and a strong sense of community, that drove their positive contributions to sustainability. Based on these data, we recommend that those involved in future theoretical and practical work with concessioners acknowledge the importance of both tangible and intangible motivators when attempting to promote higher levels of sustainability achievement and collaboration. This will become increasingly important as land management agencies continue to embrace strategies beyond the traditional “parks as islands” approach to management. Additionally, future work should explore more specifically the role of policy, conceptualizations of sustainability, and private industry sponsorship in promoting concessioners’ contributions to sustainability, especially in collaborative settings. This work is needed to understand if and how these observations generalize to other contexts.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44671578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Review of Trends and Knowledge Gaps in Latinx Outdoor Recreation on Federal and State Public Lands","authors":"Alyssa S. Thomas, José J. Sánchez, David Flores","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2021-11064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2021-11064","url":null,"abstract":"The Latinx population in the United States, estimated to compose 28% of the country’s population by 2050, has a long history of public land use. Yet while research on Latinx outdoor recreation in urban green spaces has increased over the past 20 years, research on Latinx outdoor recreation on federal and state public lands has waned. This study synthesizes the literature on public land use and outdoor recreation on federal and state public lands by the Latinx population in the United States to assess the state of knowledge and to strategically identify research needs in Latinx public land use and outdoor recreation. Our analysis reveals that while institutional barriers such as policies, practices, and procedures that favor some ethnic groups over others continue to exist, barriers to access, such as distance to sites, available free time, and knowledge about how to use public lands may be shifting, offering clues that may help guide informed approaches to outdoor recreation management.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67737535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing an Intentionally Designed Physical Activity Model of Programming for Children’s Structured Recreation in Canada","authors":"Nadine Van Wyk, Nicole Taylor McCallum, L. Katz","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2021-10910","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2021-10910","url":null,"abstract":"Sport and education organizations have established models to ensure that coaches and teachers understand the physical, social, emotional and mental development of children. Such pathways of intentionally designed models fail to exist in the recreation sector where many physical activity (PA) programs are mainly developed based on convenience and instructor availability rather than on established credentials and current pedagogy practices. Addressing this gap, this paper explores the creation of an intentionally designed model of programming for children’s structured recreation, which is defined as sport or PA-based programs that are planned and led by an instructor. This proposed model is contextualized within the province of Alberta, but may be applicable across the nation. The authors further define “intentionally designed” as the development of purposeful programming with specific objectives that align with outside sources. One such source comes from the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, who has created a Canadian Recreation Framework, an initiative to ultimately develop the well-being of all Canadians. The proposed, structured recreation model also incorporates several guiding principles including physical literacy and sport philosophy. Physical Literacy (PL) focuses on the lived body as the embodied dimension of our human experience, and how it can be enriched through various experiences that enable us to reach our full potential (Whitehead, 2007). It is about viewing the body holistically rather than separate from the entire being. By planning diverse PA in four environments, including land, water, air, and ice, the model also aligns with the sports sector and its philosophy of developing both fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills. Moreover, with allocated playing time, intentionally designed structured lesson plans, and one consistent leader in each activity, the model aims to increase the participants’ motor proficiency and levels of PA while building their confidence and competence across distinct exercises. The execution of the proposed recreation model involves a four-month program where participants rotate to a different PA environment each month and attend two classes per week, cumulating in 32 total classes. Management implications are discussed to determine how recreational professionals can achieve the intended outcomes of the model. Finally, further research is necessary to determine if this model can increase participants’ motor proficiency and positively influence physical activity behaviors in the recreation sector.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44333849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}