Concepts of physical activity
Chapter 11

• Play
• Leisure
• Recreation
• Physical Education
• Sport
• Outdoor and adventurous activities

• Main reason for participation is fun
•
• occurrence
Spontaneous
Intrinsic rewards
Non-serious nature of commitment

Intrinsic value
Nonserious
Play immediate pleasure; no ulterior motive
Space
Spontaneous
Enjoyment
Negotiation
Rules
Time

• Play is for children
• When adults ‘play’ it’s called recreation
Hence shared characteristics:
• Both intrinsic
• Both voluntary

•
• Change to active leisure
Participation for its own sake
• No relative importance to society

Both:
• Intrinsic
• For fun
• Informal structure
• Produce sense of well-being
• Both develop skills
• Casual attitude

Recreation:
• Escape from stress
• Opportunity for socialising
• Health benefits
• More organised
• Concept of ‘active leisure’

• Time free
• Hence from work and other obligations choice depends on economics self-satisfying socialising

•
• Leisure has
• Leisure is no value in itself non-serious
• Protestant work ethic –
‘work is Godly; leisure is lazy’ unemployment clouds issue/limits definition

Many people take part in physical recreation as a form of leisure activity.
(i) Define the term leisure .
(2 marks)
(ii) What do you understand by the term physical recreation ? Comment on its benefit to individuals (4 marks)

(i) Time away from obligations/necessities such as work/education;
Activities can be freely/voluntarily entered into/choice;
For relaxation/enjoyment/fun.
2 marks
(ii)Physical Recreation – active/exercise/physically strenuous activity;
During leisure time;
Provides opportunities for self-fulfilment/fun/enjoyment/ intrinsic reward/improve skill;
Helps maintain physical health/fitness;
Helps develop interpersonal/social skills;
Escape from reality/pressures/stress/mental health.
4 marks

•
• Leisured class has a right to leisure
Working class has a right to leisure after they have earned it availability , and time

•
•
• Leisure is a social process
Freely chosen - should take place in pleasant atmosphere
Friendships may develop sponsorship
• Can promote culture

T. I. M. E. as limiting factors to leisure
• Less time
• Less income
• Less mobility
• Lack of education

High unemployment
Reduction in working hours
Increased life expectancy
Increased mobility
Advances in technology
Growth and change in leisure time
Increased disposable income
Greater public provision of facilities

No pressure
No obligation
Self-satisfaction obtained
Similarities of play, recreation and leisure
Discovery/ experimenting
Variety of activities
Freedom of choice
Creativity/selfexpression

Modern-day lifestyles appear to be increasingly stressful and more inactive.
(i) Explain the term active leisure.
(2 marks)
(ii) Why is active leisure considered important for individuals and society?
(4 marks)

(i) Time free from work/domestic chores/sleeping/surplus
Choice - Voluntary/free will/no moral obligation
Active – physical, energetic.
2 marks
(ii) Society attitudes changed/rights to leisure/limited
Working hours reduced / more leisure;
Increased status of leisure/reduced status of church/work;
Labour saving gadgets;
Increase in life expectancy;
More accessible facilities/personal mobility/improved transport;
Early retirement;
Unemployment (enforced leisure);
Job share/work from home/flexible work patterns 4 marks

environment – not outdoor games!
activities
• Used as a classroom activity – outdoor education

Selfreliance Leadership skills
Team work Values
Decisionmaking
Trust in others

exciting challenging
No officials dangerous characteristics
But codes for safety competitive
Against self/elements

• Sense of freedom – escape from urban environment
•
• Handling risk -
Leadership sense of danger
• Decision-making
• Appreciation of natural environment
• Self-reliance trust in others

• Objective danger –
• Subjective danger – outside our control within our control
• Real risk – avoidable environmental risk
• Perceived risk – potential risk – sense of danger

Educational
• Appreciation of environment
• Conservation
• Skill development
• Testing oneself
• Teamwork/ leadership
Recreational
• Free time/choice
• Enhance quality of life/escape stress
• Active leisure
• Health
• Intrinsic
• Sense of fulfilment

•
• Limited time
• Lack of specialised teachers
Funding
•
• Lack of access
Safety issues

•
• Canoeing, sailing, windsurfing – lake, canal or pool
•
• Indoor climbing walls
• Orienteering in park
Dry ski slopes

Because:
• Escape to the countryside/appreciation of environment
• Widely accessible facilities/cheap
• Socialising/mixed sex groups
• Ease of access
• Individual/non competitive
• Challenging/adrenalin rush/risk/danger

• Rules
• Scoring system
• Judges and officials
• Governing body
• Extrinsic

Dry ski slopes are an example of an urban adaptation of an outdoor and adventurous activity.
(i) Give two other examples of outdoor and adventurous activities and state how one of these could be adapted within an urban environment.
(3 marks)
(ii) Participation in outdoor and adventurous activities in the natural environment involves an element of risk. What is the difference between
'real' and 'perceived' risk ? (3 marks)

(i) Climbing/abseiling/mountaineering - climbing wall
Orienteering - park/school grounds
Canoeing/rafting - swimming pool/lake/canals/reservoir
Windsurfing/sailing - reservoir/gravel pits
Mountain biking - country parks/parks/indoor tracks
(ii) Real risk - from natural environment/increases with skill level; should be avoided at all costs; risk of life/injury; can be planned for/plan a route to avoid;
Perceived risk sense of danger/think there’s a risk; provides excitement, but controlled; encouraged by leaders/learning experience; importance of developing risk assessments;

• Competitive rules and regulations
• Organised occasions – leagues and championships
• Officials referees and umpires
• Administration clubs and NGBs
• Commercial aspects sponsorship, advertising, media coverage, funding, professionalism

‘….an institutionalised, competitive activity that involves vigorous physical exertion or the use of relatively complex physical skills by individuals whose participation is motivated by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.’

• Institutionalised –
• Competitive – structure winners and losers
• Physical exertion – hard work
• Complex physical skills movement
• Motivation –
• Intrinsic – drive to do self-satisfaction
• Extrinsic – external rewards

• Dance activities
• Games activities
• Gymnastic activities
• Swimming activities and water safety
• Athletic activities
• Outdoor and adventurous activities

• Invasion
• Striking and fielding
• Combat
• Target
• Net/wall
• Athletic

Serious/ commitment
Physical endeavour
Excellence/ ability
Characteristics of sport
Sportsmanship/ fair play /team spirit
Competitive
Highly organised
Time/ space constraints

Health and fitness
Highlights issues
Objectives of sport
Allow success
Aid socialisation
Emotional release
Express individuality

Positive
• Competitive
• Sportsmanship
• Amateurism
• Assertive
Negative
• Gamesmanship
• Win at all costs
• Cheating
• Aggression

• Over-emphasis on winning
• More like entertainment
• Crowd violence
• Drugs
• Poor role models
• Passive involvement

Recreation
• Immediate pleasure
• intrinsic rewards
• length of participation own choice
• spontaneity
• spare time involvement
• levels of fitness personal
• no pressure to cheat
• no pressure to succeed
Professional sport
• involves pain/rivalry
• extrinsic rewards
• time constraints - training
• spontaneity reduced through rules
• occupation - serious
• sponsorship
• high levels of skill and fitness
• temptation to cheat
• pressure from others to win

Physical activity can be subdivided into the categories of play , physical recreation and sport .
Play has been defined as ‘an activity from which you get immediate pleasure without ulterior motive ’.
(i) Using an example, explain this definition.
(2 marks)
(ii) State two ways in which sport differs from play.
(2 marks)

(i) Play is fun/enjoyment/non serious;
Intrinsic value/no tangible rewards;
(ii) Sport has
Extrinsic rewards;
Competitive;
Commitment/effort;
Emotional highs and lows;
Highly structured/time constraints/boundaries/equipment;
Rules/officials/tactics;
Degree of obligation;

P.E. is:
•
•
Compulsory
Educational - involving learning -
• Has authority figures – different to recreation and play but similar to sport skills

• Formal body of knowledge
• Learning through the physical
•
Skill development
• Learning rules and ethics
•
•
• Appreciation and evaluation of movement
Health-related fitness
Lifelong learning

• Skill development motor
• Fitness development physical
• Knowledge of rules etc – cognitive
• Values such as sportsmanship cultural

Skill development stamina
Increase fitness strength flexibility

Experience wide range of activities
Encourage sportsmanship
/fair play
Teach health benefits of exercise
Encourage competition
Promote self-esteem

Social interaction
Team work
Accepting defeat
friendship leadership

PE
Recreation
Sport
Some overlap exists

Many people think that physical education is just another name for sport that is played in schools.
What are the values and characteristics of sport that differentiate it from physical education?
(3 marks)

sport is competitive/sport primarily seeks winners and losers/extrinsic rewards; sport does not have an overt educational objective/is elitist; sport does not have an overt developmental objective; sport is serious/commitment/voluntary.
(Max 2 for PE)
PE seeks to develop motor/psycho-motor skills;
PE seeks to develop learning/understanding/morals/ethics/ fairplay;
PE health/stress/social/participation;
PE is compulsory.

P.E.
• Compulsory
• Physical development
• Creativity /social awareness
• Confidence and selfesteem
• Aesthetic appreciation
• Mixed ability
• Values of teamwork/ sportsmanship
Sport
• Voluntary
• Performance development
• Extension of interest/ specialism
• Extra-curricular
• Competitive
• Commitment/ dedication

• Depends on teacher goodwill
• Lack of funding
•
Competing interests
• Safety considerations risk assessments

Similarities
• Same activities
• Skills developed
• Formalised
• PE teacher may coach
• Aim to win
Differences
• Teacher v coach
• Conflicts in expectations
• Different ethics in school and club sport

PE lessons in school
Links with local clubs
Club involvement
Competitions
Coaching / Talent development
Affiliation to NGBs
Award schemes/training courses
Access to District level

District level
Competition
Tournaments
Championships
Access to Regional level
Regional level
Competition
Training
Assistance from Sports Aid Foundation
Access to National Training squad

National Training squad
Coaching
National Sports Centres
National competition
Access to International level
International level
Representing Country via NGBs

Play Leisure
Physical
Recreation
Outdoor activities
P.E.
Sport
Moving from left to right:
Increased organisation

Play Leisure
Outdoor activities
Physical
Recreation
P.E.
Sport
Moving from left to right:
Increased competition