Career Exploration Therapeutic High Adventure Camp Managerial Positions

Job Descriptions Details about the day-to-day duties, the big responsibilities people in
this career have, as well as qualifications that I need to acquire:
Tracker: To find out more about obtaining entry-level work with at-risk youth (valued
by many high adventure social ventures), I interviewed J. Golding. He is currently a manager at
a city recreational facility, and has a degree in recreational management. Prior to this position,
he worked with at-risk youth in two different companies. After discussing various entry-level
positions available in those companies, I was interested in the Tracker position. A Tracker plans
activities with at-risk youth to help teach them social skills, and helps them increase their
knowledge of their potential to contribute positive things to their communities and to the world.
According to J. Golding, the biggest advantages of the Tracker position are that Trackers have a
high degree of autonomy with their work. They report where they are going and what they are
doing to supervisors, and are required to keep documentation of their activities. However,
beyond that they are able to plan activities themselves. The supervisors are there to give
guidance if the Tracker is unsure of what to do. The disadvantages of the position are as follows.
It is part time work. There is very little opportunity for upward mobility without extensive
education. It doesnt pay very well. The Tracker is required to use a personal vehicle, and
commuting time to appointments is unpaid. This could become burdensome, because the pickup
and drop-off locations vary, and the appointments may be relatively short to justify the drive
time (J. Golding, Personal Communication, April 25, 2015).
Trip Leader at SPLORE: I found a posting for Salt Lake Seasonal Trip Leader at
SPLOR. The purpose and ideal qualities of the Trip Leader is given on their website: Splore
provides outdoor adventures throughout the state of Utah for people with disabilities and

disadvantages. Splores Salt Lake programs include outdoor/indoor rock climbing, canoeing,
snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and overnight trips. Trip Leaders must possess exceptional
customer service, group facilitation, risk management, public speaking, and leadership skills
(Salt Lake Seasonal Trip Leader, n.dat.).
In addition to the characteristics mentioned above, I will also need: a current Wilderness
First Responder and CPR certifications; 2 years of experience leading groups in an outdoor
setting; cross-country skiing and snowshoeing experience; yurt or winter camping experience;
intermediate rock climbing (5.7 level) knowledge; a knowledge of knots and anchors; and
advanced canoeing knowledge (Salt Lake Seasonal Trip Leader, n.dat.).
This seems like a fun job to me. The biggest disadvantage of it is that the compensation
rate ($10 $12 an hour, depending on experience) is well below my current earnings. It is not
enough to meet my familys needs, and this cannot be done as a part-time or side job (Salt Lake
Seasonal Trip Leader, n.dat.).
Program Assistant at Camp Red Cedar: Another position I found is Program Assistant
at Camp Red Cedar. Camp Red Cedar is a physical campsite that has been adapted to be
accessible to people with a variety of disabilities. The responsibilities of the Program Assistant
are to plan, organize, and coordinate Camp Red Cedars summer programs. The qualifications
I need to build for this positon are: a working knowledge of applicable federal and state
regulations; an understanding of HIPAA law; experience with basic office organization;
demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office software; a knowledge of how to organize and
track medications and medication reminders; demonstrated group and youth leadership;
demonstrated organization skills and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously;
public speaking skills; basic marketing and relationship building skills; creativity; work

experience in a managerial or supervisory position; and a Bachelors degree in Recreation or a

related field (Job Description - Program Assistant, n.dat.).
The advantages of this position are that it pays relatively better than some of the others I
have mentioned. It also gives experience on the business side of the organization while still
giving opportunities to participate in the recreation. This experience would be extremely
valuable to me in starting my own camp or reaching a higher level managerial or executive
position. This particular camp, also, does not run on Sundays, which fits well with my religious
preference of frequent attendance at Sunday worship services. The disadvantage is that the work
may be more seasonal. I dont know if this position pays a salary year-round (Job Description Program Assistant, n.dat.).
District Executive Position at Boy Scouts of America: This one is perhaps my favorite
position so far. It focuses intensively on the leadership, marketing, community integration, and
networking side of my interest area. It would be extremely valuable experience to have in
moving into other executive positions, and the pay and benefits are high enough that I could
make this a career end goal despite its lacking aspects of my interest area. The scouting mission
is given on the BSA website as follows: Since 1910, Scouting has helped mold the future
leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy
Scouts of America believes and understands that helping youth puts us on a path towards a more
conscientious, responsible, and productive society (District Executive Position, n.dat.).
The purpose of the District Executive Position is also given on the BSA website:
Today's professional Scouters are a diverse group of men and women sharing a dynamic career
offering independence, achievement, and stability. This is work that makes a difference, work
that calls one to continual learning and challenge, work that offers solid compensation, benefits

and advancement. . . We are seeking energetic & self-motivated individuals to serve as a District
Executive. This is a sales and management career that demands growth in all areas increasing
membership, raising sustainable finances and cultivating and working with top community
leaders (District Executive Position, n.dat.).
For this position I would need to build: a strong marketing, fund-raising and program
development background, . . . non-profit, fundraising or sales experience, . . . strong
organizational skills in management, budgeting, and planning, . . . [demonstrated commitment]
to personal and professional productivity, while maintaining high ethical and professional
working standards, a relevant Bachelor's Degree, and demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft
Office (District Executive Position, n.dat.).
Other advantages of this positon include a good entry-level salary of $34,000 - $36,000
yearly. The benefits package is also good (District Executive Position, n.dat.). The
disadvantages of this position include more limited contact with the youth than I would prefer,
less high adventure activities than I like to do, no paid vacation time in benefits package, and
limited ability to work with youth with disabilities.
Volunteer Program Manager at National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD):
This positon may be my ideal end goal. I would need to build quite a few qualifications
to receive this kind of position, but I am confident that with work and time I could meet those
qualifications.
The function of the NSCD is described on their website: Each year more than 3,000
children and adults with disabilities participate in our programs to improve the quality of their
lives. With specially trained staff, a custom adaptive equipment lab and over 1,200 volunteers,

the NSCD provides therapeutic recreation through a variety of winter and summer sports and
activities to individuals with almost any physical, cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral
diagnosis. Year-round programming is based out of Winter Park Resort and Sports Authority
Field at Mile High (Manager Volunteer Program, n.dat.).
The skills that I need to build for this positon include: experience working with and
training volunteers; experience with scheduling and employee recognition; experience with
inventory keeping; experience creating an operating budget; experience processing billing,
payments, and donations; experience with database management, especially the Raisers Edge
database system; experience writing and editing policy manuals and newsletters; a working
knowledge of basic social media and website maintenance; a knowledge of volunteer recruitment
strategies and human resources; a bachelors degree in business or a related field; knowledge of
alpine skiing/snowboarding; knowledge of adaptive recreation; and experience soliciting
donations (Manager Volunteer Program, n.dat.).
General Career Path Discuss how you get there from an entry-level position.
It seems that the best way to achieve an executive-level positon in the adaptive/high
adventure industry is to build business skills. These skills include marketing, human resources,
team building, training, analysis, and financial operations planning. It would also be helpful to
have experience soliciting donations and motivating people to volunteer their time. I also need
to build my high adventure skills and my knowledge of adaptive technologies and adaptive
sports.
General Education Experience Note how much education this kind of career requires,
what kind of degree and any additional certifications.

This career requires at least a bachelors degree level of education in business

management, although it seems that an MBA with courses specializing in recreational leadership
and social ventures would be helpful. At any education level, a few years of hands-on
experience are required before obtaining an executive positon.
Average Salary Base this on the level of experience needed.
Statistics for executive positions in adaptive recreational management positions are not
available. However, based on salaries for the positions I have looked at, I expect to earn $34,000
- $41,000 per year. Payscale.com gives an estimate of $29,660 - $70,075 for recreation
managers, with a median wage of about $45,000 (Recreation Manager Salary, n.d.). However, I
know that non-profits and social ventures dont always pay the median or upper level wages. It
seems that I will need about 5-10 years of relevant work experience, depending on the position,
before I can hope to be competitive in any upper management position in this field. This is
obviously not a high salary given the experience, skills, and level of responsibility required. I
am willing to give up a higher pay check for the rewards of doing something I love and feel is
very important, though.
Career Outlook
The projected career growth for recreation workers is 14% or about average according to
bls.gov (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). This is a high enough growth rate to allow
consideration for someone who is ambitious in this field. The career growth for managers and
executive level positions is not given. However, I imagine that it corresponds to the growth of
the industry for all recreation workers, and should therefore be positive.

Bios of leaders in my field of interest:

I was unable to obtain an interview with someone in my field of interest, except J.
Golding. His experience, though, is more relevant to entry-level positions. I did, however, find
a few useful bio statements on the SPLORE and NSCD:
SPLORE: Janine Donald - Executive Director
Since starting with Splore in 2007, Janine has been involved in a variety of roles:
volunteer, AmeriCorps VISTA member, Salt Lake Program Manager, Associate Director and
now, Executive Director. A native of Seattle, WA and a graduate of Pacific University in
Oregon, Janine has traveled extensively in Latin America, backpacked all over the Western
United States, and taught outdoor education courses in Utah and California.
In 2012, Janine received her Master in Public Administration from the University of
Utah. In the fall of 2014, Janine completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
Program. Janine also serves on the Utah Nonprofit Associations Board of Directors (Meet the
Staff, n.d.).
SPLORE: Eric Bonin - Salt Lake Program Manager
Eric was born in New Jersey with a passion for adventure, teaching, and the mountains.
After graduating from Green Mountain College in 2004 with a B.S. in Adventure Recreation, he
ran an adaptive sports program for 4 years. In Vermont, Eric taught skiing, canoeing, sailing and
rock climbing to people of all abilities. In April 2011, Eric joined the Splore team.
Eric brings a passion for teaching, the outdoors, and adventure to Splore and holds his
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Certification. When hes not teaching, you can find him

expanding his own comfort zones and enjoying the mountains with his partner, Kristen, and dogs
Logan, Pepper and Camber (Meet the Staff, n.d.).
SPLORE: Dan Gibbs - Business Development Manager
Dan moved to Utah in 1980 to attend graduate school at the University of Utah where he
earned an M.S. in Recreation Management. It didnt take long for him to discover the amazing
beauty and natural resources that mother nature has blessed Utah with.
After a 30 year career in sales at FedEx, Dan left to pursue his goal of giving back to the
community. In 2014, Dan began volunteering with Splore and joined the Splore team in March
2015. He also works closely with Salt Lakes refugee resettlement organizations (Meet the
Staff, n.d.).
NSCD: Becky Zimmermann - President/CEO
Prior to becoming the CEO of the NSCD in June of 2012, Becky was the President of
Design Workshop, Inc. an international land planning and urban design firm. Becky has served
as a NSCD volunteer and member of the Board of Trustees for over a decade. As the new leader
of the organization, she brings experience in operations, marketing, finance and the resort
industry (The NSCD Leadership Team, n.d.).
NSCD: Erica Mays - Human Resources Director
Erica moved to the Fraser Valley over 20 years ago, the day after graduation from the
University of Florida. Her love for adventure and mountain sports was balanced by amazing
employment opportunities in the Human Resources field. Erica worked for almost a decade at
Winter Park Resort and the last seven years at the NSCD. She and her family relocated to the

Denver area, where they continue their passion for the outdoors and, of course the NSCD, in a
more moderate climate (The NSCD Leadership Team, n.d.).
Advantages and disadvantages:
One disadvantage of this career are the high barriers to entering into the well-paying
positions. Another disadvantage is the tendency of many companies in the recreation field to
require Sunday work, which conflicts with my desired work-lifestyle balance. I want to be able
to attend religious services regularly.
I am passionate about therapeutic recreation, working with youth, and working with
people with disabilities. In this career, I will have opportunities to grow professionally, if I
obtain the right education and experience. Salaries in the more senior level positons are high
enough to meet my familys needs. I will have opportunities to motivate people to achieve their
maximum potential.
Is this career a good fit for me?
As with any career path, there are challenges that I need to face in this field. However,
they are not insurmountable. With continued work, applicable play, and ongoing education I can
gain the experience I need to build a career in this field.
This field fits well with my goals of being involved with youth and families. It fits my
hopes of helping people achieve their potential through therapeutic recreation and training in a
natural setting. It fits my love of working with people with disabilities. All around, this career
fits me very well.

Sources:
Boy Scouts of America (BSA). District Executive Position - Dallas, TX. (n.d.). Retrieved April
25, 2015, from
http://www.scouting.org/Careers/EmploymentOpportunities/EntryLevel/DallasTX.aspx
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 201415 Edition, Recreation Workers, Web http://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-andservice/recreation-workers.htm (Accessed: April 25, 2015).
Camp Red Cedar. Job Description - Program Assistant. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://campredcedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Program-Assistant-2013.pdf
NSCD. Manager Volunteer Program - Winter Park Resort, Winter Park, CO. (n.d.). Retrieved
April 25, 2015, from http://www.nscd.org/pdfs_employment/Manager-VolunteerServices-032015.pdf
NSCD. The NSCD Leadership Team. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://www.nscd.org/the-nscd-leadership-team.php
Payscale.com. Recreation Manager Salary (United States). (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Recreation_Manager/Salary
SPLORE. Meet the Staff Get to know our passionate, outdoor-loving staff. (n.d.). Retrieved
April 25, 2015, from http://splore.org/about-us/staff/
SPLORE. Salt Lake Seasonal Trip Leader. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://splore.org/about-us/jobs/salt-lake-seasonal-trip-leader