Leisure Delivery System: Scott Kowalski

Introduction:

The agency I deiced to visit was the ARC which stands for Activities and Recreation Center. The ARC opened in august of 2009 after starting construction in March of 2006. The ARC is part of the campus recreation center at the University of Illinois. The ARC was build in order to help the campus achieve the university’s mission community enrichment.


Background:


The ARC is one of the many centers that the campus recreation runs here at the University of Illinois. The center is open to all but there is a membership fee which in included in all undergraduates’ tuition. The facility is located on the south part of the campus next to Memorial Stadium.


The facility is there for many reasons they provide wellness workshops, activities such as basketball or badminton, rock climbing, and a massive gym for both strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Basically, the ARC is just filled with many leisure activities


Employment:



There are many employment opportunities I found from speaking to one of the workers. Most students that start working there start off as a facility assistant. These workers are CPR certified and are the one you will see when you first get there swiping an i-card. From facilities manager there are many different ways to move up.





Current Trends:


Some of the current trends happening from what I asked are swimming which is because of the warm weather we are currently having. This tends to happen after the beginning of fall semester and the end of spring. From what I could find out there is not many issues effecting the ARC at the moment.




The ARC and Leisure:

From going to the ARC and talking to an employee I found that the ARC likes to provide leisure in many ways. They have many activities that can be done that are fun such as rock climbing or even a camping trip which is planned. Also, individuals can go to the ARC to escape the stress of class and get in a nice workout.



Synopsis:

The ARC is much more then just a gym i found it to be a place of wellness. They have classes within the ARC at the wellness center where you can learn things to make yourself healthier in many ways such as making a budget or making a healthy meal on a budget. It is also a great place to go and get a healthy snack at the Courtside Café which is on the main level at the ARC. If you feel like playing a game of basketball with your friends that's not a problem just go the member services desk where you can rent a basketball out. I think that working at the ARC is a great start if you like to get into recreation. The ARC provides many opportunities from life guards to costumer service assistance. Overall, I think the ARC is not only a great place to go when seeking leisure but is a great place to work when wanting to get involved in recreation.