Keywords

recreation trends, military readiness & retention, MWR program optimization, economic impact, experience design

Abstract

In 2017, nearly 97% of Americans had time for leisure or recreation each day, and on average, that daily time for recreation (i.e., the time outside of work and household activities) exceeded five hours (“Average hours per day spent in selected leisure and sports activities by age,” n.d.). Where and how Americans use time for recreation has far-reaching implications for their physical and mental health (Payne, Ainsworth, & Godbey, 2010). Physical and mental health are key components related to the readiness and retention of military service members; therefore, Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) services are positioned to support the readiness and retention of military through recreation.

Recreation is also a major driver of the American and global economies and is used by many communities, nationally and internationally, for economic development. In this regard, MWR is also strongly positioned to generate nonappropriated revenue through the facilities and programs it supports and provides. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to provide information that can optimize MWR programming to better support the readiness and retention of their constituents while identifying opportunities for generating nonappropriated revenue. We achieve this purpose by (1) providing a description of recreation trends in the United States and connections to health; (2) describing models for recreation service delivery; (3) providing a contextualized overview of experience design as a framework for MWR programs; and (4) proposing strategies and measurement tools for MWR program evaluation.

Original Publication Citation

"Recreation trends, service utilization, and future directions for Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs (MWR)", Military REACH, Auburn, AL, 2019

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2019

Publisher

Military REACH

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Experience Design and Management

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

Download

Share

COinS