What Will the Future
Bring?

by Keith Frankland
and Terry G. Schwartz

What will the future bring? This question will be asked by leisure professionals for years to come. They may ask, "Where is my career taking me? Will tax caps and budget reductions eliminate leisure as a priority in our community?" Students ask. "Can I hope to find a job in a profession struggling for recognition among legislators and administrators?" Educators ask, "What will the future bring us? How can I continue to challenge myself and the student?"

What research would help the educator, the student, and the professional to reach their potential? Perhaps foremost on their minds is the unpredictable funding of their education. The list of universities losing leisure curricula is growing. Recently, the University of Missouri salvaged its Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department only after an ambitious letter writing campaign by alumni. The University of Illinois has had 36 percent of its Leisure Studies curriculum budget cut. The University of Maryland dissolved its program.

These changes are only the beginning. As our society grows and matures these problems will pale as more serious challenges emerge. A few of the challenges which will get tougher to surmount in the coming years will center on: the maturation of America; wellness; and various social forces that will continue to shape society. These forces, however, will also create new opportunities in the provision of leisure services.

The maturation of America has been discussed for many years. Young people are tired of the continuous analysis of the "baby boom" generation. Although that age group will only be one of the factors determining the direction of leisure, it is natural to devote time to the generation that has initiated significant change in today's society.

Scholars agree that the "baby boomers" will redefine whatever stage of life they inhabit. One can expect that as this group ages it will project a more youthful image. "Agewave," states that "those that are fifty will act, project the image, and be, as healthy as a person of forty today."

As longevity increases, there will be two groups of older adults, each with distinct leisure and continuing education needs. The older adult, generally over the age of 70, may continue to engage in traditional leisure activities associated with that age group. Another older adult age group will emerge.

The more youthful old, generally between the ages of 55 and 70, will be as active as they were in their middle-age years. Activities such as sport and travel will continue to be priorities in their lives. As the "baby boomer" generation ages they will continue to make a significant contribution to the leisure market. Catering to this age group will become a priority.

Unlike older adults today, these leisure and recreation participants may be willing to pay a fair price for the product for a number of reasons. Their disposable income for leisure will be increased. Over the years they will have grown used to paying for these services and, thus, paying for them will come naturally. Adults who grew up during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were accustomed to receiving various services for little or no cost. At the time, government felt this was due to these people because of what they had endured during the Great Depression and war. The W.P.A. and C.C.C. programs helped put people back to work and provided for many pools and recreation centers in communities. The youthful old may change this trend toward low-cost service.

Continuing education will flourish in the future. Forty-five percent of all undergraduate and graduate students are over 35, and the average age continues to rise. Studies show that adults are reeducating themselves for new careers. Schools will need to shift their emphasis towards meeting the needs of the older student as many adults will change careers several times before fully retiring. Others will want to keep active by participating in leisure activities. This may mean that recreation professionals will be programming adult softball and basketball leagues for men and women who are well into their fifties and sixties.

Wellness will continue to grow in importance. Employers will attempt to curb spiraling health care costs by implementing insurance, employee fitness, and incentive programs. Other incentives may include extra pay for staying healthy, payments for weight reduction or smoking cessation, and rebates for passing annual physicals.

Virtual Reality

The home entertainment center will gain even greater prominence in the home. "Virtual reality" will allow us to smell the scents in the movies we watch. Commercials currently on television, showing Elton John and Louis Armstrong selling soft drinks, will extend to your home enabling you to perform with entertainers of the past. Can you picture yourself hitting a Tom Seaver curveball or a Nolan Ryan fastball? How exhilarating it would be to "ski" St. Moritz in your own home. feeling the cold wind in your face and smelling the fresh evergreens. The ability of leisure professionals to be competitively creative with this technology will become a major challenge.

Over the past 30 years, the faintly unit has changed dramatically.

There are single-parent, step-parent, and multi-generational households in greater abundance than two-parent households. It is believed that we are becoming more tolerant of change. These changing family needs will have to be met in every area of life, including leisure.

Societal Forces

Another change we're experiencing is that the world is getting smaller. It takes only hours, not days, to cross the United Slates. We can communicate with anyone around the world via phone or fax. With this shrinking of the globe, our nation will become more of a melting pot. A richer ethnic mix exists within our population and continues to grow. The most common ancestry in our populace will shift from European to Asian, Hispanic and African. Increasing cultural diversity will create new opportunities in leisure, and the challenge will be to create the right programs and products to meet the consumer's needs.

As population increases, so will stress. Not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) lawsuits and "It's your fault" attitudes will prevail. Playaholics will surface. The playaholic will be the person who works as hard at their leisure as at their job, resulting in unrelieved stress.

Many of these changes may be difficult to accept and although some may not occur, enormous changes will continue throughout our lifetime. The key to being able to react positively to these changes will be the willingness to adapt and adjust.

We still marvel at the computer, yet its technology is already old and significant breakthroughs occur in that industry on a daily basis. Consider that the keyboard in common use today soon will be replaced by voice-activated input devices. And "virtual reality" devices, discussed earlier, will be available to consumers within five years.

The opportunities available to those focused on the future of leisure will be limited only by the imagination.

About the Authors
Terry G. Schwartz is the President of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, and superintendent of revenue facilities at Arlington Heights Park District. Keith Frankland is immediate past-president of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, and the director of parks and recreation at Woodridge Park District.