CRCE-lsaklak2

My reflection of my agency, Campus Rec through the CRCE location, is going to provide a summary of all the aspects I critically reviewed over these past weeks . First I will talk about the goals/objectives of Campus Rec they are as follows: to cultivate positive life-long learning, provide inclusive and valuable resources that empower the campus to achieve, develop leaders, serve the global community at the highest level, to be a place for everyone, diversify themselves and the programs and services offered, and to overall promote better quality of life. These goals are just right for an agency that serves such a large campus. Within this campus there are so many different kinds of people that all have a variety of needs and the agency would not survive if it didn’t go above and byeond to serve its customers. The funding of Campus Rec is also interesting especially with being a part of such a well-known University. The basic funding is provided by the memberships that are included in tuition costs for students that attend. Money is brought in by the rental of the facilities between all of Campus Rec’s facilities as well. That is a big money maker especially when IHSA and other well known agencies host tournaments and events. Intramurals and club sports provide income as well as alumni donations. The fee for wellness services such as yoga classes and cooking classes bring in a small percent too. Campus Rec has a broad range of income coming from all aspects of the agency which is why it is considered a profit based agency.
Concluding the Campus Rec’s services they provide are targeted for particular individuals. The students that attend the University of course are number one in service providing, then it moves onto the University’s faculty and staff who get the option to obtain a membership and bring along their spouses and children. The other students that are around the area including the graduate students and other community members that use the facilities from time to time are a big number of the customers who use the agency’s services. With the service of all these people the agency must stand out from all its competitors by emphasizing its key program elements that Campus Rec has to offer and how it sets it apart from the other agencies. First it is in service to such a large based community that are within a particular age it helps to create intramurals and programs for them to interact with each other because they will be on the same level of skill. The location of Campus Rec’s facilities is a great advantage because it is within walking distance to majority of all customers. Not only does it provide recreational services but it provides a means of employment for the customers as well which brings in another aspect to serve the community.
The strengths of Campus Rec as a leisure service provider are pretty obvious. First off the facilities they have are top of the line equipped with the best equipment. Their easy accessibility to all the students on the campus and the payment of membership is very easy as well. They include the service charges in the tuition so that everything is done and paid for so you don’t have to worry about it. They have such an array of services that they can host any and all events ranging from sorority philanthropies to club sports to career fairs. They have such a broad range of possibility that you really can never go wrong when you’re at a Campus Rec’s facility. Even though I hate to admit it but the weaknesses that I did come across within Campus Rec is for the special recreation. I felt as if they were equipped for any physical disability to come through their door but as to promoting and making aware of the services they provide was pretty limited. That exclusiveness definitely puts a damper on customer service. Also with the staffing of such young workers sometimes the professionalism is absent, that can also cause inconsistency with the providing of services to customers close in age and major conflicts can arise from that.
In the end I do believe that Campus Rec fulfills its purpose as a recreational provider greatly for the University. I know this by the popularity it has with the campus life and the amount of income they earn. Out of the 10 functions I found that Campus Rec fulfills 7, so you know your agency is good when you have over half the functions accounted for.




Champaign County Forest Preserve District- madden8

The Champaign County Forest Preserve District (CCFPD) is a non-profit agency
whose purpose is to provide leisure services and environmental education to all
people in Champaign County. The fact that the CCFPD offers classes and clinics
to teach people about the environment and preserving the environment is what
sets it apart from other public parks. Another thing that sets it apart is the fact
it offers recreation for people with disabilities. Some types of recreation for
disabled people are a garden raised to a height so that people in wheelchairs
can see the flowers, and many of the trails are paved, thus making them
wheelchair accessible. Also the fact that the CCFPD has a central Illinois
museum and classes for children and adults is what makes it different from
your average park.
The park is funded by Champaign County taxes. These taxes mostly go
towards upkeep and employees. The golf course in the park actually does not
take money from the taxes though, but instead charges a fee to use the
facilities. However the golf course is self-sustainable, meaning the fees bring in
enough money to sustain the course without needing any of the county taxes.
Other areas that charge fees are rentals. People can rent out certain areas for
events, parties, weddings, etc. Besides golf and rentals, most things are free,
with the exception of a few classes. This allows people of almost all income to
enjoy the facilities.
The park’s objectives are to are to conserve, preserve, educate and
recreate, and so many opportunities exist for the public that fall under one of
these four main goals that their purpose is easily achieved. The park is
constantly looking for new ways to get people tot heir park by hosting many
events and classes each week. A weakness that arises here is the fact that many
of the classes and events are aimed more towards young children or
retired/elderly people. They are missing a wide range of age coherts with their
specific events. However it does seem like most teenage and adult age people
prefer the unstructured recreation the park has to offer. Another weakness in
the organization regards to the recreation involving a fee, in which case poorer
families would not be able to participate. Overall though the CCFPD seems to
keep in mind the diverse demographics of people when planning events,
activities and the park in general.



The I-Hotel - fatigat1

The tourism and hospitality agencies have a common obvious objective. They aim to cater to their guests and having success measured through the satisfaction of their stay. The I Hotel, as examined, is one of the premier hotels here in Champaign/Urbana. Their goals are very specific to accommodating guests, as there are events and functions happening with the University of Illinois. They are also involved in holding various meetings within the hotel in their newly renovated business center. They population that are intended for this sector of leisure delivery has a very wide range. Some of these intended individuals can include: students, parents, families, or businessmen. The tourism and hospitality agencies seek to coordinate with customers, or guests, needs by insuring an adequate experience with their stay.

This agency is different from other agencies within leisure service and delivery. This agency does seek to earn a profit and how profitable they actually are relies on the execution of their leisure delivery. For example, the people who work at the I Hotel have to make guests feel at home and cater to their requests to receive good reviews. From good reviews, there will be more people interested in staying there. This shows the importance of the leisure service and delivery for the hospitality and tourism agencies commercial success. Some of the services provided at the I-Hotel include: room services, restaurant, bar, spa, fitness center, and conference centers. These services are important for the satisfaction of their guests.

The I-Hotel has a lot of strengths when looking at the hospitality and tourism sector in the Champaign/Urbana area. There are not many other hotels that are directly on campus, which makes the I-Hotel advantageous. Also, when looking at a hospitality view, this agency is targeted for everybody regardless of age because anyone is able to stay there. Also, the other services they provide, such as Greek functions and business conferences, allow the hotel to be more versatile in the hospitality industry and allows there to be more events taking place. The only weakness within the I-Hotel is competition for weekends were a lot of visitors are anticipated, such as fathers and mothers weekends or for home football or basketball games. This creates competition between other surrounding hotels when people are deciding on where to stay for the night or weekend.




Tom Best
Bally Total Fitness

The agency I researched was Bally Total Fitness. This organization focuses on a person’s well being and individual qualities. Bally is a great place for people who are in need of exercise, a challenge, or just enjoying some leisure time. The agency attempts to increase people’s desires to stay fit and enjoy their daily lives more. Bally Fitness is a very diverse agency and contains an environment suitable for all ages. The hands on assistance from the staff is one of a kind. The time and devotion they put into their work is something to really take advantage of. This a commercial organization and benefits from people of all ages.

Bally Fitness Center targets mainly teens to adults, but has room for all ages. Their main equipment and training is used for older teens and adults. However, there is a children center that is very unique and helpful for kids. Also, the elderly are always welcome and can use just about all the machines other adults can use. The center has a lot of diverse equipment and challenges available for people to participate in. The trainers offer any assistance desired and really push the members to complete any task. Bally as a whole is completely diverse and offers so much to its members. The center is the ideal place to participate in a leisure activity.

Bally’s goals are to get the best out of their members each and every day. When people enter Bally they understand their goal and activity at hand. There is no unnecessary pressure or stress involved. People can enter at will and enjoy their leisure time with no regard to their outside problems or activities. The reason people go back to Bally Fitness day after day is the enjoyment of the center and livelihood of the staff. The only negatives within the agency are the financial struggles and desire of people to work out. Unfortunately, people today have lost the will to exercise and stay fit. That results in Bally losing money and possibly going folding over.




Old Orchard Lanes & Links-astoff2 (Andrew Stoffer)
The location I chose for the leisure service delivery is called Old Orchard Lanes and Links. It is a profit organization that provides miniature golf and bowling for the community of Savoy. During my visit I was able to learn a lot about the agency. This includes the goals, strengths, weaknesses, and trends of the agency. All of the employees were very helpful and friendly. They create a great atmosphere for customers. The two agencies I am comparing to Old Orchard are Bally Total Fitness and I-Hotel. They are both profitable organizations that have the goal of serving their community as well. However, they also have many differences.
One of the things that stood out the most for me at Old Orchard was the friendly atmosphere. The manager discussed the consistent positive customer feedback they get because of this. Both Bally and I-Hotel have a similar welcoming environment with a large staff. All of their customers seem to be loyal and satisfied, and their employees are passionate about their job. All of these organizations have the same common goal of serving all ages of the community in an effort to help their well-being. A difference that is evident is the recent trends of each association. Old Orchard and I-Hotel have had a continued success in their business over the past few years. However, Bally has had a decline in sales in recent years. In 2007 they filed for bankruptcy, but they are now trying their best to battle out of it. Another major difference is the fact that I-Hotel and Old Orchard only have one location. Bally is a corporately owned and run worldwide. This creates a different system and experience for the employees even though the experiences for the customers of each organization are much alike.
I was able to find numerous positive similarities between the three organizations. They all have a lot to offer, but they also have things to improve on. After researching each one, I feel that the I-Hotel is the strongest organization, however, I believe that Old Orchard offers the most leisure. They share a similar definition of leisure, which seems to be their primary goal. They want to satisfy their customers by giving them the leisure they are looking for. The customers come back because they enjoy their time spent there. It is how they choose to utilize their own leisure time.




Assembly Hall - hammond8

The Assembly Hall is one of the many organizations in our group that would be considered commercial recreation. It can appeal to so many people, but their main objective is profit. While they do provide sporting events, concerts, plays, and musicals, the big picture is all about making the dough. A lot of the money that the Assembly Hall gets comes from us, the consumer. There are various events that go on at the Assembly Hall that can appeal to all age groups. There can be events that target certain age groups like younger children and plays, and then events that attract all age groups such as a basketball game.
Something that sets the Assembly Hall apart from other agencies is the variety that is offers. Like I stated above there is something for all age groups. This can also be its strength. Because of the various events that it offers, it attracts more people from out of the area. More so right now, people are struggling because of the economy so the tickets and concession prices could affect attendance rates.
I believe the Assembly Hall helps the community and still fulfills its objective. It offers so many things where people can just get away for a couple hours at a time. Even though they pay for that ticket, during that time people can be experiencing leisure. That is the most important thing at the end of the day. You have to satisfy the customer and let them experience leisure.

The Christine Rich Dance Academy and Performing Arts Center – coyne4

The goals and objectives of The Christine Rich Studio (CRS) are to provide high-quality dance and fitness training while teaching life lessons in discipline, focus and respect to members of the greater Champaign-Urbana area. It strives to offer the “best of the best” in dance training in the Midwest (outside of a major city). Students at CRS are pushed towards excellence and the benefits are endless.
The agency is funded by the customers, plain and simple. CRS’ success relies solely on the loyalty of its customers. It has customers who have been dedicated for several years and thus is able to provide such a beautiful facility in which the dancers are able to train.

The individuals/groups served by CRS are students ranging from 15 months to middle-aged (however most are 15 months to high school aged) in the Champaign-Urbana area. The cost dictates families to be at least lower-middle class, unless of course the student is taking one class per week, in which case it is very affordable.

The key program elements that set this agency apart from others are its high caliber and structured nature. If a parent wants a student to learn the art of dance, musicality, how to listen and follow instructions, that breaking rules results in consequences, etc., CRS is without a doubt the place to go. Many other agencies in the area offer dance lessons, but they are not as high quality and do not necessarily teach the other aforementioned skills.

A strength of CRS would be its guarantee of value. Value is often defined as benefits minus costs, and in this circumstance, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. Another strength would be the success rate of students at CRS. One such student, Andrew Cribbett, is currently spending his senior year training at the Washington Ballet School and the Duke Ellington Performing Arts School in Washington D.C. on a full scholarship he received from a competition in Chicago last year. Other students, while perhaps not pursuing dance post-high school, have gone on to Ivy League schools, and their years at CRS helped them get to this level. Parents see this success in newspaper articles and media around the Studio and come running. It is difficult for me to think of weaknesses as I’m a big proponent of this dance studio, but perhaps one would be the cost. It’s not terribly expensive, but in today’s world, even a few extra bucks can be challenging. And it’s a private, for-profit business, and therefore it does cost.

CRS absolutely fulfills its purpose. As stated above, the main goal/objective is to provide high-quality dance and fitness training while teaching life lessons in discipline, focus and respect to members of the greater Champaign-Urbana area. Many past students have raved over what they learned training at CRS. For some of these testimonials, please visit this link: http://www.christinerichstudio.com/studio/testimonials_industry.php. It starts with Industry testimonials, then parent, then student, then alumni. CRS is a wonderful agency in this area that parents, if they have a true interest in the art of dance, should take advantage of!





Conclusion:

After looking at all the different agencies among our group, we found that there were many differences within each agencies strengths and weaknesses. Our group contained seven agencies that were commercial and only had one agency that was non-profit. There were a wide variety of services that were provided by each of our agencies and had different targeted populations. For example, when examining Campus Recreation and the I-Hotel, we found that Campus Recreation was targeted more towards the student base, while the I-Hotel concentrated more on attracting visitors to the university. In addition, it was very evident that each of these agencies provided a different level of accommodation for therapeutic recreation opportunities. To demonstrate, the CCFPD provides programs that are directly for people who have disabilities. However, when comparing the CCFPD to CRCE, CRCE’s programs are not as accessible or abundant. Another difference we saw was how the different agency’s services were obviously intended for specific age groups. For example, the Christine Rich Dance Academy was targeted mainly for kids to teens, while most of the other agencies provided services that were specific to all age groups. However, even though we saw differences among the agencies, we also saw some similarities among the purposes of the agencies goals. Each agency had very different purpose and service delivery. This was shown in our analysis of each agency, however we were able to conclude that each agency strived to achieve an enhanced quality of life for participants. In particular, the agencies were each trying to aid in personal development and strengthen neighborhood and community ties. This was consistent within each of our agencies after reviewing the purposes of their leisure services and delivery.

Group Leisure Definition:
Any activity that gives an individual a sense of happiness and freedom everyday obligations.