While participation in activities may produce benefits such as area relief and increased fitness, this activity alone does not necessarily help individuals to be better equipped to face life's chalenges. The time has come for our field to help improve rather than just amuse those we serve. If done correctly, recreation programs can make a difference in the lives of individuals.
Recreation can become developmental rather than just diversionary.
A good example of societal concerns might be lack of family unity, isolation among the senior population, increased teen pregnancy, gangs or vandalism. Suppose that we have well-articulated goals, but we continue to offer the same old programs. We often assume that what we provide is inherently good, but if it is not structured to directly address the social issues, we are not solving the problem. If the only goal of the program is to keep participants off the streets, then the old way of programming works. But if we want to help solve a societal problem and make a difference in the lives of the participants, the basketball program must have other components.