Recreation is known to be a fun and athletic thing but if you are looking for something more academic, Recreation 300 is the perfect class.

Recreation 300 is taught by American River College’s women’s water polo and swim coach Bethany Black.

The class, despite its name, is in a classroom setting where students learn about the many opportunities for jobs that are in recreation.

“There is a need for (a) recreational specialist like Google, they recognize that the total health of a person will help produce productivity so its important that we have specialists that will focus in those kind of areas,” said Black.

This course focuses on opportunity and a clear overview of recreation.

Jonathan Gibbs, a Recreation major, said he feels the class gives him a better understanding of the field he is going into.

“I would say the class gives me a better grasp on the major itself,” said Gibbs.

He also said that he likes that Black is still in the field while also teaching it.

Black said from this class she would like students to take “a realistic perspective of what they are getting involved in with recreation because it is definitely a service field. You can have something that you’re very passionate about but you have to be well rounded enough to be able to communicate things with all different type of people.”

Students go on field trips throughout the community and interchange their classroom setting with physical activities.

“The field trips are fun and going out in the community and seeing what is close, being hands on but also just like understanding what’s around us in the Sacramento area and that there is a lot of opportunities out there like I had no idea that there was a nature center,” said Sarah Pereira, a Recreation and Tourism administration major.

The midterm is a presentation of recreation opportunity so the students have to go and get involved in a community recreation event and see what is happening in local areas. They have four exams in addition to that.

“I think also too, our society is thinking more outside the box and having avenues to pursue it such as a recreation degree is a nice opportunity,” Black said.

“I think it is a really fun major. It’s a practical major. The nice thing is all three classes that we offer articulate straight into the recreation degree at Sacramento State or any California State University,” Black continued.

“The field trips are fun and going out in the community and seeing what is close, being hands on but also just like understanding what’s around us in the Sacramento area and that there is a lot of opportunities out there like I had no idea that there was a nature center,” said Sarah Pereira, a Recreation and Tourism administration major.

“This class gives me a better understanding of the field I am going into,” said Jonathan Gibbs, a Recreation major.