KEARNEY When Marta Moorman was growing up in a small town in Oklahoma, her parents refused to allow TV in the house. So when the community started a summer recreation program that included archery, badminton, swimming, childrens theater and more, she became hooked on recreation as a way of life.

My community and my family forced us to find other things to do, so we tried everything. If its fun you stick with it, she said.

Moorman has stuck with it. Shes now a professor of recreation at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She teaches others to develop sports, fitness, wellness and community recreation activities for individuals and groups.

For her teaching and leadership, CHI Health Good Samaritan will present Moorman the Healthy Community Award in the area of Recreation. Nominated by Kearney Park and Recreation, she is recognized for showing outstanding leadership in organized sports for youths or adults.

Recreational activities are her life, including games, music, sports, cooking, exercise and reading.

Recreation isnt just about the body; its about the whole person. Its a lot about being social. We need to be around others. Recreation is so valuable because you are not just sitting in a room with somebody. Youre playing with them. Youre seeing how their mind works, and you see that their skills may be way better than yours. You think, This is somebody I really need get to know, she said.

Since joining the UNK faculty 21 years ago, Moorman has seen changes in recreation and how U.S. families and communities play.

Historically, the focus of community recreation was on team sports, but we have seen an increase in the number of individual activities and commercial providers. Recreation has become more intentional: were doing it for a reason, she said.

People are conscious about being active and staying healthy, she said. Outdoor and adventure activities have shown dramatic increases in the past few years. Kearney has the new water trail in the canal and Turkey Creek. UNK has a new rock climbing wall. These types of activities are very popular.

Over the years she also seen more variety in activities offered here, and how Kearney comes together to solve problems. Twenty years ago, the hike-bike trail to Cottonmill Park was a single dirt track. Now its part of a hike-bike trail network that stretches from Cottonmill Park to The Archway and ending at Fort Kearney State Historical Park, she noted.

Parks have evolved and added more options for organized sports. New, too, are activities like Community Olympics and Senior Games, adventure races and trail walks.

Kearney is good at deciding what they want and going for it. When the community decided that we needed more ball fields, we figured out a way to make it work. When Kearney decides what it wants, we make it happen. Were progressive in that way. I like that a lot.

Involving her UNK students in planning and organizing events is just as important as being involved herself, she said.

She was part of the Patriot Park Development Committee. She also sat on the Park and Recreation Advisory Board and the Rowe Sanctuary Committee, and is a member of the Nebraska and National Recreation and Park Associations.

In serving, she has aimed to elevate the importance of recreation as a community and individual need.

Recreation people always have to justify what they do. Its easy to justify health and exercise, but people look at recreation as oh, thats just for fun. But if its not fun, people wont participate. Activities that are fun and social are very important both for individuals and the community, she said.

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UNK professor's dedication to recreation earns her Healthy Community Award - Kearney Hub