Assignment Three

Hey Guys this is Matt Call and while thinking of what our groups definition for leisure might be, I skimmed over our first assignment blog which we discussed all our own personal definitions of leisure. Tyler, discussed that leisure “is what you do with your free time” and mentioned that he enjoyed basketball as a form of leisure. Similar to Tyler, Paul mentioned that his definition of leisure is also as “how one spend there free time” and likes to spend his leisure time with his brothers and playing sports. Max who likes to spend a lot his leisure time snowboarding felt that his definition of leisure “is spending your free time to the fullest”. Watching sports is a major way that Kevin spends his time, and thinks that leisure is “anything that you do during your free time that equals a positive state of mind”. I personally feel that leisure “is time to enjoy oneself” I used ice fishing as example of how I enjoy my leisure time. After reading all our definitions I can draw a conclusion that we all consider our definition of leisure “is how and what we do in our free time”.

Leisure as recreation is something that we all share connections with in our leisure time. Tyler seems to like recreational leisure a lot, and being active. Max also seems to share the same recreation sense as Tyler, but also has a connection with me and likes some of his leisure time as a state of mind. Meaning that we both don’t need a whole lot structure when enjoy our leisure. Paul also like Tyler seems to like a lot of recreation involved in his leisure time. Kevin seems to share the recreational factor and also like a good result from his leisure time. It is very evident that we all enjoy some productivity from our leisure time, and share that some structure is involved. Aside from the fact we do not spend our leisure time dong all the same activities it seems very evident that we spend our free time doing activities we consider leisure.

Tyler’s sports management on campus recreation and the report Max did on The ARC seem to be very similar. They seem to tie into each other, where the sport management side comes up with ideas for activity and the ARC puts them on. Management of recreation and The ARC both have high strength point, a few being keeping and providing students with physical activity keeping health involved. Both industries are included in our tuition which can automatically keep us motivated to spend some our leisure time being active. The ARC itself offers not only physical activity, but also has space equipped for workshops to promote health and easy ways to do so as a student or faculty. Sport management helps come up with all these ideas and comes up with the way to promote such activities and make them appealing to students. Kevin reported on the Orange Krush which also seems to be a very involved activity on campus. The big pro of the Krush is that it gets students involved and is funded by itself as a non profit organization. Krush helps students get out there and raise money for the university scholarships, which is students helping students. The community is also involved when the Krush go to work, because they help out many charities who have money donated by the Krush. Overall, I believe that these industries help highlight student activity, which is important to help promote things like leisure, connections, and life experiences.

Commercial Recreation-elliott7

The Putt Zone

Through Assignment number one, I think we all pretty much agreed that leisure is what someone chooses to do in their free time. The Putt Zone Fun Center fits into this because it provides leisure to those in the Champaign-Urbana Community. Although this may sound similar to the ARC, the Putt Zone aims to serve a much different age group than does the ARC. Obviously, the ARC was built for the large number of students at the University of Illinois to use. The Putt Zone, on the other hand, is more about serving families (younger children). This is evident through the opportunity of others to use the Putt Zone’s sheltered pavilion to host birthday parties for children. The Putt Zone also has a different way of charging people for their services and facilities than does the ARC and Orange Krush. The Putt Zone charges per usage and doesn’t offer the opportunity to become a member like the ARC. Also, there is not the possibility for financial discrimination at the Putt Zone like there is to be a member of the Orange Krush. The Orange Krush requires it’s members to get pledges of money for each three pointer made by the basketball team. Therefore, if you have family members and friends who are financially successful, you’re going to be better off than someone whose family and friends are poor.

The employment opportunities and current trends at the Putt Zone also are distinctive form other leisure agencies, but also share some similar qualities as well. Because of the Putt Zone’s size, it can’t come close to offering the quantity of jobs that the ARC and the White Hall Hotel can. However, the types of jobs offered and the benefits are similar. For example, the Putt Zone, White Hall Hotel, and the ARC all have people working the front desk selling items and working directly with customers. All three also have management positions that oversee the agencies operations. In addition, people working at all three leisure agencies make many connections that benefit them down the road. The current trends at the Putt Zone can also be seen at the White Hall Hotel and through the non-profit sector that Orange Krush exemplifies. Not surprisingly, the current trends at all three leisure agencies are tied to the current financial struggles of our economy. However, the ways in which the organizations are dealing with the poor economy differ greatly. While the Putt Zone and the White Hall Hotel are catering more and more to help the customer---Putt Zone now offers many different activities other than just mini-golf and the White Hall Hotel is advertising more than ever their free wireless internet, 5 star restaurant, and limo/taxi service to and from O’Hare/Midway---the Orange Krush is putting more pressure on members by moving up deadlines for pledges to be turned in.

The strengths and weaknesses of the Putt Zone are very interesting to compare to other leisure organizations. The main strength of the Putt Zone is the wide range of distinct facilities it can provide: batting cages, mini-golf courses, trampoline basketball, and sheltered pavilion. What I mean by distinct, is that the facilities aren’t very commonly available. For example, the ARC offers far more activities, but doesn’t offer batting cages, trampoline basketball, or mini-golf courses. So, in that regard, the Putt Zone has done an excellent job of distinguishing themselves from the competition. The weaknesses of the Putt Zone, however, are their advertising and capability to offer activities to the disabled. If it weren’t for my older brothers mentioning the Putt Zone, I would never have heard of the organization. I have yet to see any advertisement for the Putt Zone on TV, in the paper, or around campus; I guess that just goes to show that the Putt Zone isn’t attempting to serve the students. Also, although the min-golf courses are handicapped accessible at the Putt Zone, they would be very difficult to navigate with a wheel chair. The courses have narrow walkways at times and are bumpy. On top of that, batting cages and trampoline basketball aren’t handicap friendly sports in any way. Because of the ARC and the White Hall Hotel’s greater amount of funding/revenue, they are able to both advertise and be more handicap accessible.

Sports Management-Nelson47

I had to put the picture of the leisure suit in, just look at it, it's hilarious.

I'm going to start off this assignment by comparing each individual in our groups definition of leisure. I will start off with mine, I consider leisure to be "what you do with your free time." Paul considers his definition to be "how one chooses to spend his or her free time." Max believes leisure is a time to "enjoy your free time to the fullest." Moving on to Matt, he thinks leisure is "time to enjoy oneself." The last member of our group Kevin thinks leisure is "anything that you do during your free time that equals a positive s

tate of mind." As a group we discussed our definition of leisure, we came up with "what you do in

your free time."

Now it's time to analyze are different definitions of leisure. To begin mine and Paul's are virtually the same. I think it would be a safe bet to assume that Matt is someone who enjoys alot of unstructured leisure in his life with his definition. Max looks to get the most out of his free time, he has talked about and has put in his past assignments about how enjoys snowboarding, with this i think he also likes unstructured leisure, but looks to get alot out of what he does. Kevin also looks to get a positive feedback out of his leisure time, I would guess that he likes to structured leisure in activities that enjoys participating in. Overall as a group all of us enjoy our different leisure studies, and look forward to our leisure every day at the end of our classes.

In my last paragraph I'm going to talk about how the organizations we did for assignment 2. I talked about the sports management oppurtunites through campus rec, while Max talke about campus rec also, but he talked about campus rec as a whole. I talked about the various intramural oppurtunties that are offered by campus rec. Max focused more on the ARC and its renovations, and how it is now arguably the top campus workout facility in the nation. I was really interested in Kevin's assignment about the Orange Krush. He talks about the Orange Krush's fundraiser through thier own foundation, which is a great thing. While my assignment can be considered sports management, Max's can be considered a campus recreation program, and Kevin's is a non-profit organization, they all are similar in the fact that they are all encompassed in the field of leisure.

Non-Profit, Orange Krush, mroz2

Once again, our group's definition of leisure is "what you do in your free time." What I like to do in my free time and what members of the Orange Krush like to do is sit in the student section to watch basketball games. This is done by accomplishing the goal of collecting pledges to donate to the University of Illinois and the surrounding community. Like the ARC, funding is provided by the students and students are members. Also similar to the ARC, it takes more than just student participation to make this a successful organization. Members of the community and members of the University are also a part of the success.

The Orange Krush is a unique situation in which everyone benefits. Students are able to sit courside for basketball games, while the University and surrounding community are able to benefit from the students raising money for them. The strengths of the Orange Krush are that it is well organized and has a clearly explained mission. Students are able to receive leisure by going to basketball games while helping a good cause. The weaknesses of the Orange Krush are that there are few employment opportunities and that in order to be a member you must be a student. In Paul's example, going to play mini golf, almost anyone can play, which is a stength to his organization.

The Orange Krush does actually fulfill its purpose. This year, over a thousand people joined the Orange Krush. For every three point shot that the Illini hit this year, the Orange Krush Foundation will receive over a thousand dollars. This does not even include flat pledges. The Orange Krush will be able to help out numerous organizations in need of finances.For this reason, I believe the impact of the Orange Krush has a much more widespread effect on the community than most of the other organizations in my group.

Campus Recreation, The ARC tane1

So if you just like hearing our group definition over and over, it is that leisure is "what you do in your free time." I cant stress it enough. In my free time, I like to participate in multiple recerational activities, and what better place to do them, then at the ARC. There are a plethora of activities at my disposal. This is what the University of Illinois gave to the students, based on what the students asked for. Like Orange Krush, most of the membership and funding comes from the students. However, people living in the Champaign-Urbana community can be members at the ARC as well. With the student population and community population having the ARC at their the disposal, it stimulates the University and community's well being.

The ARC is where everyone can benefit and find their own niche. Students can find different acts of leisure everywhere they turn. There is plenty of employment. Not just at the ARC, but the whole division of Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois. With so may job oppurtunites they rank third on campus. Its weaknesses are its pricing and availabilty. Places like the Putt Zone are economical and available to all. The ARC is only open students at the Univeristy and members who a hefty yearly fee. However both of these organiztions share the same mission, which is to have maximum amounts of leisure.

Campus Receration and the ARC have fulfilled their purpose. Stats have shown that yearly the traffic through the ARC is equivalent to the traffic through Six Flags Great America in Gurney, Illinois. Intramural sport regristrations have had to cut off sign-ups because of too many teams wanting to participate. There is always a place for someone at the ARC and Campus Recreation in general.

Campus Recreation: The ARC By Max Tane

Introduction

Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois is a great way to partake in leisurely activities, find job opportunities, and network with other people.  While Campus Recreation can be found all over campus, the main source of leisure can be found at the Activities and Recreation Center, better known as the ARC.  Renovated within the last 10 years, the ARC has jumped to the top 3 of all campus recreation programs among all major universities.

Background

Residing next to Memorial Stadium, and the Residential Housing known as the "Six Pack," the ARC is a convenient place to get to.  Even the MTD has put a stop right outside the building for all students to reach.  After the renovation, the ARC is now a multi-floor structure that screams Leisure.  Two pools, indoor track, basketball and volleyball courts, just to name a few.  This renovation was based on what the students wanted.  Not only does the ARC have athletics, it provides a lounge for relaxing and/or studying accompanied with several flat-screen TV's.  Even a small cafe has been keeping students hydrated and nourished.

Current Trends

As the fall season approaches, signups for fall intramural sports have brought a rush of traffic to the ARC.  I had the chance to attend a meeting for my flag football league, where the commissioner mentioned how the league has become a hot commodity on the university scene, and how now intramural leagues have begun to create a maximum number of teams. However intramurals are just one of the many things that bring traffic in and out of the ARC.  I was able to speak to Dennis Rogers, a sophomore who is now in his second year working in Campus Recreation, and he said,  "You will never get bored at the ARC.  There are still things here I haven't discovered to done yet.  You should honestly get credit hours if you complete every activity in the building."

Employment Oppurtunities

Campus Recreation is the third largest source for student hiring on the Illinois campus.  They have two hiring cycles year: one in the fall for the fall and winter, and one in the spring for spring semester and summer.  There is a job for anyone at Campus Recreation.  Jobs range from Lifeguarding, Officiating, Personal Training, even as basic as manning the front desk or cafe.  Rogers added to his hiring by saying, "Getting hired by Campus Rec has expanded my boundaries, and now I have made great relations that can benefit me down the road."

Leisure

The way Campus Recreation defines Leisure is that there is a place for anyone at Campus Recreation.  No matter what physical ability you have, you can still find your niche at Campus Recreation, specifically with all the luxuries that the ARC has to offer.

Synopsis

The ARC is bigger and better than ever.  It provides great jobs, and most importantly, the ability to enjoy your free time with any form of activity or entertainment that suits you.  Easy to get to and access, the ARC has now become nationally known amongst all major universities.  Most Importantly, student feedback has been tremendous as the student population keeps coming back to the ARC to take advantage of all it has to offer. 

Matt call

This is a photo of the front of the White Hall hotel, which is located in downtown Chicago. The White Hall is a very popular downtown hotel, and known for a more affordable upscale in the downtown area. The White Hall offers a European style of hotel and is consider a boutique style with an urban twist. The building was designed in the early 1920’s by Ernest H. Klaber and Ernest A. Grunfeld, which once was high end apartments, but after the depression the building turned to The Whitehall in the mid 1950’s. This hotel has a great location downtown Chicago on 105 East Delaware Place, which is considered Chicago’s Goldcoast. The Goldcoast is considered the pat of town that never sleeps, and has an abundance of touristy activities.






The Whitehall offers many various features for its tourists. They have a high end restaurant that serves 5 star Italian dishes and Asian plates. Fornetto Mei, which is what the restaurant is named has a elegant dinning area which can accommodate many guests at a time. Fornetto Mei also has a glassed in sun room area to dine, which allows tourists to see many sites while they eat. Attached to the restaurant is a beautiful bar that contains over 200 world class wines and 40 in house by the glass wines. Besides accommodating tourists with food and beverages 24 hrs day, there is also a workout facility if a guest wants to workout during there stay. A few other features of the hotel is 24 hr security, free internet, self parking, and great limo/taxi to and from O’hare and Midway airports.


Employment opportunities are very attainable at the Whitehall, but a degree in the tourism field helps very much. I was able to reach one of the managers of the Whitehall, who happens to be a good friend of mine. His story is a little different than most who want to manage a hotel. His name is Joe Gagellos, and he got his foot in the door by bartending and serving. During his bartending shifts he learned a lot about the city and people, which he then used his knowledge to help with the tourism aspect. Knowledge of the city helped with gaining the position of manager, and being a bartender and server helped the hotel trust him when it came to financial matters as well. I asked him about what are good ways to move up in the hotel system, and he explained to me that having knowledge of the city and being able to point out landmarks, knowing your directions off the top of your head, and having great people skills are a must.



With the Whitehall being located downtown it is by many great tourist sites. The Whitehall offers special room and tourist packages that include tickets to The Art Institute of Chicago, which is pictured above. The Art Institute is not the only monument located near the hotel, it is located by Millenium Park, The House of Blues, and a long coast line of Lake Michigan. Joe explained being in the tourist area helps generate revenue and create a lot of jobs for people who would like to go into the tourism area.

I asked Joe about how tourism and business was due to economic status of our country. Joe explained to me of different ways to promote the hotel, without it not being vacant. Promoting the bar and restaurant to tourists is a way of breaking into the tourism market, such as marketing the major icons who have dinned or stayed there, such as The Beatles and Michael Jordan. Location was a primary cause for people staying at the hotel, being close to so many arenas and places for concerts helped a lot. Holding events for major Corps in the restaurant and also catering helped generate income.

Joe described that there company’s definition of leisure is providing recreational activities for those who need a way to spend there free time, especially those on vacation. Examples, are providing room and board with packages to events and tourist spots at a good rate. Providing activities and accommodations for those who want to spend there leisure time in a higher class environment.

Synopsis
Tourism has always been somewhat of interest to me, and how somebody goes about learning and teaching it as well. I enjoyed my experience of learning about tourism and came to find out that it ties into a whole lot more than just directing people or point out sights. The way I look at tourism at the moment seems to have a lot more pro’s than con’s. The pro’s of going into the tourism area is gaining so much knowledge about more than just one element. Tourism can be a bunch of different areas, and also can be combined with other areas like the White Hall. I believe that tourism fits into leisure in a variety of ways, because it’s a way that people spend there free time. The White hall may be a place for tourism and some may not be spending every minute of there free time there, but it’s a place where a person can enjoy leisure with many recreation activities that are offered.

Sports Management of Campus Recreation by Tyler Nelson

Squash Court at CRCE

Intramural Soccer Field

CRCE

Ice Arena

Illini Grove

ARC

Introduction:Campus Recreation isn't just for going to the ARC, lifting, and trying to hit on girls. It provides fitness classes, intramural activities and even wellness classes. It is highlighted by the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), which is the largest freestanding on-campus recreation center in the nation.

Background: Campus Recreation is the on-campus recreation provider for the staff and students of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.Their office is located at ARC suite 1430 201 East Peabody Drive Champaign, Illinois. It manages seven on-campus facilities. The indoor facilities include ARC, CRCE, as well as the Ice Arena. The outdoor facilities include the Outdoor Center Fields, Complex Fields, and the Illini Grove.

Employment Opportunities: Campus Recreation is a great job opportunity for the students of the University of Illinois. Like most other agencies they require applicants attend an information session, submit a application, resume, and cover letter. After the initial process some applicants are selected for interview. This past fall hiring session there were over one thousand applicants!

Current Trends: One of the current trends of Campus Recreation is Student Feedback. For example when the ARC was being built there was a survey put out asking students what they wanted, a large majority of students wanted natural sunlight. Because of this request the

ARC features many large windows that allow for natural sunlight.

Definition of Leisure: Although Campus Recreation doesn't have an official definition it does a Vision Statement "There is a place for everyone at Campus Recreation." The main benefit of Campus Recreation is that it looks to meet everyone's needs regardless of their physical limitations.

Synopsis: Campus Recreation offers many programs that make them a sports management agency. One example includes intramural flag football that is ran through campus recreation. Another would be a group fitness class offered at either the ARC or CRCE. Don't worry basketball fans, there are even intramural basketball leagues at ARC and CRCE during the winter. There are also Open Rec opportunities offered at almost every single on campus location, Open Rec allows for people to enjoy their leisure without structure. Working in a campus recreation program would be a major plus if you are planning to work in the sports management field in the future. It would allow you to Network, and gain valuable on-the-job experience. Campus Recreation does an excellent job of delivering various leisure opportunities to the people at the University of Illinois.

The Orange Krush by Kevin Mroz

The Orange Krush is a very unique basketball student section. Not only does it provide its students with seats really close to the court, but it also serves as a very successful non-profit organization that has donated nearly 1.5 million dollars to charitable organizations throughout the Champaign-Urbana and campus communities.Proceeds raised by the Orange Krush Foundation 3-point program are allocated by 50% going to the University Scholarship Endowment and 50% going to local charities.

Background of The Orange Krush:

I met up with Brett Zimmerman who is an Orange Krush Chair. He is one of three different people with this title. He was able to get this title by being an active member of The Orange Krush the past two years and by going through an interview process done by members of the Illini Pride Executive Board. His responsibilities include writing the "Hoop Scoop" which is a publication given out to students before each game that includes possible cheers, he leads the cheers during the games (as seen wearing the #1 jersey in the picture above), makes sure things run smoothly during game day, and he is part of the group that decides how the money is going to be distributed.

How The Orange Krush Operates:

The image above is part of a pledge sheet. In order to be in the Orange Krush, each student must get pledges from people willing to donate money based on the amount of three point shots that are made by the Illini during the season. The amount of money raised determines the level that they are in Krush. Varsity members need to raise $1.50 per 3-pt shot (however, freshman and transfer students only need to raise $1.00/3-pt shot). If you raise $3.00 per 3-pt shot, you become a member of the All American team and receive greater benefits such as getting first priority of seating. Below is an image of the different lines students get in before the game. The line on the bottom of the picture is the Varsity line, and the line closest to Assembly Hall is the All American line. Once all of the pledges are collected, members of the Illini Pride Executive board review Grant Applications. These are requests from different charities for money that is raised by the Orange Krush. This committee reviews each request and decides to either fulfill the requested amount, partially fulfill the requested amount, or reject the request(which rarely occurs).


Finally, a check ceremony occurs in which members of the Orange Krush present a check to the Orange Krush foundation . The amount of money on the check is the total amount of money that was raised by the members of The Orange Krush.

Employment Opportunities:
There are several ways to be involved with The Orange Krush. One way is through the Athletic Department. There is a person in the marketing department that advises the executive board on matters that concern the athletic department such as tickets. Another way would be through the Illinos Foundation. People from here help run the website, hand out letters, and collect the money from the pledges. Finally, there are student leaders. There is a vice president, three Krush Chairs, and Krush Helpers which are made up of members of the Illini Pride Executive Board. To work your way up in the student leader role, students must be active members of Krush for several years, and apply for each position.

Current trends and issues:
Right now there is pressure for members of the Executive Board of Illini Pride to get the pledging process up and being ready to receive pledges sooner. The deadlines for when the pledges are due keep on moving up, thus providing more pressure for the board to prepare even earlier than the previous year.
For the most part, the number of people who join Krush each year is based on how the basketball team did the previous year. About 660 people were in Krush last year. This year, Brett said that he expects there to be about 1000 people in Krush. This is based on about 100 people over the summer signing up during registration, and about 370 people already signed up on the website.

Leisure for The Orange Krush:
The Orange Krush's definition of leisure involves supporting the surrounding community whether it is Champain-Urbana, the University, or the basketball team. They get joy out of feeling involved in such a wonderful environment. The main benefit Krush serves is being able to provide financial support to both the university and local charities in the surrounding area.

Synopsis:
The Orange Krush is a win-win situation for everyone. Students are able to benefit by being able to sit close to the action during basketball games, while the surrounding area and the University benefits from the students getting pledges to raise money. A lot of work is put into making this one of the best student sections in the nation. ESPN expert Doug Gottlieb said it very well when he said, "The Orange Krush at Assembly Hall is without question the undisputed king of student spirit groups. In addition to donating $50K to the Jimmy V Foundation and planning events outside of the games, they bring it like no other every game day." What makes the section so unique is the non-profit aspect. It is truly remarkable the amount of money the students have rased all for a good cause. A lot of work is put in behind the scenes to make things possible. The finished product is one to be very proud of. I cannot wait for basketball season to start so that I can be a member of the Orange Krush.

Putt Zone Fun Center--Paul Elliott

Introduction

The Putt Zone Fun Center is a commercial recreation business in Champaign, Illinois. Although you may not guess from the name, the Putt Zone offers more than just a miniature golf course. Besides having two 18-hole mini golf courses, the Putt Zone also has a trampoline basketball court and a batting cage with various speed levels. There is also a sheltered pavilion area with picnic tables available for group functions such as birthday parties. The Putt Zone Fun Center has been serving the Champaign community for forty seven years.

Background Information

As you can see from the picture, the Putt Zone Fun Center is located on Dennison Drive, just off of Prospect Avenue. Right now (school hours), it is open Monday-Thursday from 3 pm-10pm, 3 pm-11pm on Fridays, 11am-11pm on Saturdays, and 11am-10pm on Sundays (open April-October). Prices are pretty reasonable with mini-golf costing $5.00/game, batting cages costing $1.50/18 pitches, and the trampoline basketball court costing $6.00/8 minute session.

Current Trends

Like the pictures above show, the Putt Zone’s sheltered pavilion is available for birthday parties. This exemplifies how a business like the Putt Zone is catering to the public. In the past, commercial recreation businesses like the Putt Zone may have been able to get away with just providing one service (mini-golfing). But nowadays, this isn’t the case. They have to maximize their profit by bringing in people for birthdays and other get-togethers. Although the Putt Zone enjoys hosting birthdays and group outings, the main reasoning for attracting groups is to get people to see their services. The Putt Zone is counting on the people attending the party to find enjoyment using the mini-golf courses, trampoline basketball court, and batting cages with the hope that they will get “hooked” and come back in the future. So in a way, hosting group outings is a form of advertising for the Putt Zone.

This picture is taken of the “clubhouse” of the Putt Zone. Essentially, the clubhouse for a mini-golf course is where you pay for use of the course and pick up your putter and colored ball. The clubhouse at the Putt Zone also sells candy and drinks, along with tickets for the batting cages and trampoline basketball. At upper scale mini-golf courses there may be a larger clubhouse capable of seating those eating indoors, but at the Putt Zone all the seating is outdoors on picnic tables.

Employment Opportunities

At the Putt Zone Fun Center, and in the mini-golf industry in general, there are various forms of employment. Most mini-golf courses are individually owned and operated. The owners have to design the course, set prices, and make sure everything runs smoothly. Another form of employment would be the individuals who work in the "clubhouse," where they would be selling tickets and refreshments. That would be the entry level job and a way to get one's "foot in the door." Those working in the clubhouse would also be responsible for any problems customers may have while they're using the Putt Zone's services and would have to work a little maintenance (watering grass and flowers, garbage cans). In my opinion, the entry level job (clubhouse worker) would be a great job during college, although I wouldn't want to pursue a career at that position. Working in the clubhouse would also give you insight into how a commercial recreation business works and operates so that someday you may be able to start your own.

Main Benefit

The Putt Zone Fun Center is a great place of leisure available to all those who enjoy mini-golf, trampoline basketball, or baseball/softball. They want to provide the best possible experience to their customers. The best benefit they offer to their community is the opportunity to host birthday/celebratory gatherings. The Putt Zone Fun Center does a great job of catering to large group gatherings by offering excellent group discounts and deals.

Synopsis

From my experiences at the Putt Zone Fun Center, I would highly recommend the use of their facilities and services. Their staff was courteous and easy to communicate with, and I had a blast. I actually got a "buy one game get one free" coupon for putting a whole in one, which shows how they care about their customers. With that being said, I wouldn't want a career in the mini-golf industry. Like I said earlier, the mini-golf industry provides good temporary employment to high school and college students, but doesn't have a whole lot of options for a career, besides owning your own. One of the biggest problems that businesses like the Putt Zone Fun Center face is drawing customers back on a consistent basis. To build a consistent and stable business, you must have a variety of services available and a caring staff. I think the Putt Zone has both, so go and enjoy!

Hey guys and gals, this is Joe Faifer with my definition of leisure. In this picture, I am at Piano Man with my best friends; when we hang out we like to just relax and have fun, one of these ways is singing all night at Piano Man. I love this picture, because it just so proves that we don't need to have plans or be doing something structured to have fun; we can spontaneously go to a bar and have a wonderful time doing nothing...or next to nothing. So I would suppose my definition of leisure would go beyond being what you do, but rather who you are. I am a spontaneous, free-spirited individual who spends his free time as best he knows how, which makes me a man of leisure and my time spent the most enjoyable for me!

Hey guys, this is Kevin Mroz. This is a picture that I took last year at an Illinois football game. It is right before they went onto the field for their game against Indiana University. For me, this represents one of my favorite forms of leisure which is watching sports. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than going to a college football game. The atmosphere, the thrill, and the pure excitement of the game makes this a great form of leisure. For me, leisure is anything that you do during your free time that equals a positive state of mind.

Hey Guys this is Matt Call. This is a picture of me in Minnesota, where we have a house on White Bear Lake. I go here to relax and Ice fish, and its very quiet and has some great scenery. I consider this my leisure activity, because out there I can zone out and not have a worry in the world. I consider this leisure for me, because it's me and only me where I can just have time to focus on myself. I consider leisure, time to enjoy oneself.

Hey guys this is Max Tane, and for the past ten or so years my family and I have been skiing in Colorado where we own a house. In the spring of 2009, I was able to take my friends out with me to experience Rocky Mountain skiing at its finest.This picture was taken at the base of Beaver Creek Resort. This was leisure to the maximum, because if you look at me on the far left, I'm only wearing a basketball jersey in the warm spring-skiing conditions. When it comes to leisure, I believe it is enjoying your free time to the fullest. In this case I enjoyed being with my friends and not having to push myself hard on trails of extreme difficulty. tane1

Hey, this is Paul Elliott.This picture is of my three brothers and I on a recent road trip to Denver, Colorado. In the picture, we are at a mini-golf course on the out skirts of Denver. To me, this photo represents leisure in my life because I always find myself using my spare time and energy to play sports, such as mini-golf, with my friends and family. Looking at the picture, it really exemplifies how leisure has brought my family closer together and helped us bond. My definition of leisure is how one chooses to spend his or her free time. For me, it would be hanging out with my friends and brothers, while playing or watching sports.

Nelson 47. Hey guys this is Tyler Nelson. This is a picture from my senior year regional championship basketball game, we won by the way. I considered high school basketball leisure because it was an escape from school and family, plus it was pretty fun. I consider leisure to be "what you do with your free time"