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• 22. <br /> The Recreation Professional <br /> Successful recreational programs also need adequately trained <br /> professional staff to deal with the diverse needs and characteristics of the <br /> populations they serve. McLaughlin and Irby (1994) described recreation <br /> professionals as: <br /> ...individuals who make the system work despite itself. They are <br /> not careerist in the conventional sense of the word, but they are <br /> passionate advocates for young people. They are not bureaucrats <br /> guided by routines, for they lead and manage simultaneously, guided by <br /> • <br /> the needs, interests, and ever changing realities that face theoun <br /> Y 9 <br /> people they serve. <br /> Ringer (1994) further noted that the recreation professional must be a skilled <br /> outdoor practitioner, limit setter/safety supervisor, enthusiastic adventurer, <br /> instructor/coach, group facilitator and expert communicator. Smith (1991) <br /> identified five areas that the recreation provider must be knowledgeable about: <br /> "the cognitive, social, physical, and developmental characteristics of youth; the <br /> design and implementation of age-appropriate activities; age-appropriate <br /> discipline practices, before and after school care needs, and the influences of <br /> peers and the media on the values and behaviors of youth (p. 61)". <br /> • <br />