Home > Definitions and activities
Many terms are used when discussing issues that relate to sport and physical education.
Leisure - is a word used in two ways; one as the period of freetime which is left after work and the other to describe an activity that we freely choose to do. Leisure as previously been defined as "time in which there is an opportunity for choice" (Arnold, 1978).
Recreation - is an active aspect of leisure, something useful not simply a time left over after work, duties and so on. Recreation is said to be a time when individuals get a chance to escape (relax), recover from stress (recuperate) and be creative (re-creative).
Physical recreation - describes physical activities within the concept of leisure.
Play - as a number of meanings. Firstly it is part of the mroality of sport like in the phrase 'fair play' and secondly it is an issue in its self, as in 'I play'. Play is described as free activity, thats is generally not serious and outside the maintenance of life. A large 'play' element exists in sport especially low level, although the higher the level, the more competitive and serious the activity gets. Sport is not play when there are extrinsic rewards such as money.
