I.1. Introduction
The aim of our teaching material is to offer would-be PE teaching assistants basic knowledge in the area of recreational sports. In addition, this material can be useful in in-service training programs as well, in which participants usually have different backgrounds, a fact, which makes the alignment and the revision of the teaching material a necessity.
Restrictions in size and length unfortunately do not make it possible to offer a detailed overview of all topic areas of recreation, but the authors intended to give basic theoretical knowledge, as well as practical examples taken from teaching. The applicability of knowledge will hopefully give professional confidence to colleagues, the users of this teaching material. At the end of each chapter users find a list of recommended literature, the individual items of which can satisfy the appetite of those interested readers, too, who want to know more about the given topic.
Each expert, specializing in one or another area of recreation has already defined and outlined the notion and the importance of recreation. László Dobozi, László Jakabházi, József Szabó were those pioneering experts, who, in the 1990s laid the foundations for recreational theory and methodology to be used in secondary and higher education. The work by Tamás Attila Kovács (2004), entitled The Theory and Methodology of Recreation, as well as the volumes of Fitt-Tan (2008): (http://hawaii2.ithelpportal.com/sportolonemzet/Repository/Uploads_RT/ohegyi/Documents/ksr/kiadv%C3%A1nyok/Fitt_tan_081027.pdf) have offered the most comprehensive overview of the topic so far. Júlia Ábrahám (2010) has produced the volume entitled Recreational Foundations , and Gábor Gáldi has written (2011) The Theory and Practice of Recreation. (http://www.jgypk.u-szeged.hu/dok/tamopsport/Nadori-Dancs-Retsagi-Ekler-Gaspar%20-%20Sportelmeleti%20ismeretek/sportelmelet.html#d5e3683) These latter works exist in the most up-to-date digitalized format.
Our current work is aimed at exploring and sharing some formerly less researched areas, including the interrelatedness of recreation with culture, the culture of movement, genetic code, inheritance, lifestyle, disease and health. When exploring the above topics, a list of recommended literature is also given with the aim of offering students further possibilities to broaden their views in the theory and practice of recreation.
Chapter One is to offer theoretical foundations, the other chapters to follow describe some movements and indoor-outdoor activities with the aim of giving useful examples to illustrate recreational theory. .
The structure of the teaching material: recommendations on how to use it.
After the introductory chapters, which serve the purposes of giving theoretical foundations (Chapters I, II and III), Volume I is devoted to the topics of tourism and to sports tourism, as well as to the theoretical description and practical application of some related areas. This is why hiking, nature walking, winter camping and skiing, as well as water sports ,and the topics of their teaching and the organization of related sports events have been included in the material. The material included in Volume II can be widely used, within the framework of school lessons, afternoon sports activities or afterschool programs, but those activities, which need small space and simple equipment, can be utilized when organizing outdoor programs with family or friends. The chapter entitled ’Pool Games’ is aimed to intoduce activites, which can be done during holidays at seaside, riverside or lakeside resorts. It is very important that families, adults and children organize active summer holidays. In addition to the health benefits of physical activities these programs can also lead to a more harmonious family life.
In the following two chapters two other areas are going to be introduced, which are equally important from the point of view of recreation. One is aerobics and its variations, the other is rope skipping, a form of activities, which is typical of our dynamic world. Rollerskating presupposes some kind of extremity; it can be pursued using a very simple sports tool, and, in some cases it is more than sports, it is a feeling.
Volumes Recreation I-II can be used by autonomus learners. Due to the relatively small number of contact lessons we intend to introduce the practical implications of our topics, too.