Recreation:

The Benefits are Endless

Part II of II

By Becky Roberg, Community Relations Specialist

Part I: Recreation and US!

It’s easy to point out the basic benefits of recreation for one person – you might lose weight, have fun, make friends or just relieve some stress. The benefits of recreation don’t stop here. They go beyond the individual and affect the entire community.

Perhaps one of the largest health crises in the USA today is the childhood obesity problem. Nearly 20% of children between the ages of 6 and 8 are overweight or obese – that’s over four million children. Recreation is one of the most important weapons society can use to combat obesity, especially in children.

By encouraging physical activity at a young age, children learn early on that their health is important. Recreation makes it easy for parents, teachers and coaches to get kids off the couch and moving by having fun. Healthy kids become healthy adults who form healthy families that make-up healthy communities - a cycle worth repeating.

It’s not just about the physical health of society. Recreation also has a major impact on the economy, crime rates, the environment, racism and more. The cost of constructing recreation parks or facilities is greatly outweighed by the positive economic impact generated. Parks, recreation centers, bike paths, green belts, swimming pools and other amenities are what attract new families and keep them in the community. They influence business relocation, tourism and property values – in a good way!

Crime prevention is also a major side effect of recreation. Statistics show that youth who participate in sports are 27% less likely to be arrested and 49% less likely to use drugs. Recreation also teaches youth good decision making skills, which are even more important now as kids face tough choices about sexual activity, alcohol, drugs and gangs on a frequent basis. Recreation reduces crime and social dysfunction; therefore fewer tax dollars are spent on police, justice costs and incarceration. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention estimates that the cost of keeping one teenager in detention for a year is just under $30,000.

Evidence also shows that crime frequently drops, sometimes drastically, when parks, open space and recreation are enhanced. Yet investments in recreation are often considered a low priority. As cities continue to witness rising crime, it is becoming increasingly clear that support for parks and recreation is not a luxury – it’s an investment in safety.

Recreation also reduces racism by establishing an environment that encourages cultural interaction through the most basic activity – play. The Montrose Recreation District serves citizens from all cultural backgrounds, religions and economic statuses. Every child whether, rich or poor, white or black, short or tall can play soccer, learn karate, go rafting and play together. The variety of recreation programming available makes it possible for any type of person to feel connected to the community. This sentiment encourages cultural harmony between all groups of people.

Whether you enjoy taking advantage of the Montrose Recreation District or simply see your neighbor’s children in their green and yellow soccer jerseys every Saturday morning, you benefit from recreation. If just one less person develops heart disease, one less teen tries drugs, one less child becomes obese, one less person commits a crime, one more home increases in value, one more family moves in, one more person changes their ideas about race, Montrose becomes a better community. Recreation truly is essential to quality of life.

Questions? Call 249-7705 or email broberg@montrose.net.