Leisure, Recreation and Sports Development Typeit

There are a number of different terms regarding leisure and recreation that you should be aware of. This includes the difference between sport and play. 

• Sport refers to an activity that requires exertion and applies skills to compete in line with a set of
• Play is the participation in an activity simply for and requires the use of imagination and spontaneity

The terms also include leisure time and recreation itself: 

• Leisure time - the time at our disposal to do with what we desire 
• Recreation - activities that are performed in our leisure time for fun that people enjoy and have rewarding values

These terms are related in that play is a form of recreation, and that people perform recreational activities during their leisure time. On the other hand, people may choose to participate in sport during their leisure time. Nevertheless, what people choose to do with their leisure time is purely at their discretion and may be influenced by a number of factors. For example, the recreational activities that people choose to participate in may be influenced by:

• - children and teenagers are likely to perform physical recreation which ties into what they do at school, such as during lunch breaks and as extracurricular activities. Adults are likely to perform physical recreation around their work or care patterns, such as attending the gym or playing five-a-side football with friends.
• Interests - personal preferences heavily influence the types of activities someone does as part of physical recreation. For example, people tend to engage in activities they enjoy!
• circumstances - whether an individual has friends or colleagues that they can take part in physical recreation with, influences their choice of activity. For example, they will be able to take part in group activities instead of sticking to solitary activities such as cycling or running.
• - significant others such as parents or siblings can heavily influence the recreational activities someone performs. For example, children are more likely to take part in activities that their parents take part in, due to knowledge of provision.
• - friends or colleagues can also influence the choice of activity due to the social loafing effect, where people are more likely to take part in the activities that those around them are taking part in
• The facilities available - of activities through specialist facilities has a say in the activities someone participates in. For example, having a local swimming pool is much more likely to influence someone into taking up swimming
• The area where someone lives - the geography, culture and tradition of the local area are all factors that can influence choice of activity. For example, living in a mountainous area will increase the chances of someone taking part in hill walking or mountaineering.