National conference at Clemson to focus on everyone's need to play

Published: February 16, 2012

CLEMSON, S.C. — It is well documented that play is important for children in terms of physical and psychological development. But is it just as important to teens and adults?

Fran Mainella, visiting scholar at Clemson University, would argue that it is. And this year’s US PLAY Coalition conference, to be held Feb. 26-29 at Clemson, will offer research to back up that claim as well as strategies to open up opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to incorporate play into their lives.

Mainella, who served as the first female director of the National Park Service (2001-2006), and is co-chairwoman of the US Play Coalition, says “play is essential for success and a great quality of life.”

Psychiatrist Stuart Brown’s research starkly supports the importance of play. A featured speaker at the conference, Brown first discovered the importance of play by discerning its absence in a carefully studied group of homicidal young males, beginning with the University of Texas Tower mass murderer, Charles Whitman. That research broadened into thousands of interviews that concluded play can act as a powerful deterrent, even an antidote to prevent violence. “Play,” according to Brown, “is a powerful catalyst for positive socialization.”

More than 200 experts from around the world — health professionals, educators, parents and park and recreation practitioners — will gather at the Madren Conference Center for three days of lectures, discussions and — you guessed it — play.

The conference’s theme is “Multi-Generational Actions and Strategies,” and speakers include:

• Stuart Brown, M.D., (Tuesday, Feb. 28, 1:45 p.m.) former clinical director and chief of psychiatry at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center and founder of the Institute for Play, on “From Play to Innovation: Play as a long-term survival necessity.”
• Weiting Li, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Sports Administration, speaking on “Better Sports, Better Life,” (Sunday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.).
• Michele Smith, (Sunday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m.) two-time Olympic gold medalist in softball and ESPN commentator, on “How Childhood Play Influences Athletes.” 
• Geoffrey Godbey, (Monday, Feb. 27, 8:15 a.m.) expert in the field of aging and parks, professor emeritus in recreation, park and tourism management department, Penn State University, on “Taking the Benefits of Lifetime Play Seriously.”
• Bernard Griesemer, M.D., (Tuesday, Feb. 28, 8:15 a.m.) world-renowned pediatrician, on “Decades of Play: What Your Doctor Learned So Far.” 
• James Rimmer, (Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7:15 p.m.) Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham on “Building inclusive Play Environments One Community at a time.”

The conference schedule includes an hour for the conference participants to play on the lawn outside the Madren Conference Center at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28.

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The US Play Coalition
The US Play Coalition, made up of individuals and organizations that recognize play as a valuable and necessary part of a healthy and productive life, is housed at Clemson University in the College of Health, Education and Human Development. The coalition was born of The Summit on the Value of Play, which took place at Clemson University in the summer of 2009. Attendees at the summit made a commitment to create a coalition whose purpose would be to bring together organizations and individuals in support of play and to open up opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to incorporate play into their lives.

Fran Mainella
Fran Mainella, a visiting scholar at Clemson in the department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, is champion of a movement she calls “No Child Left Inside,” begun during her tenure at the National Park Service. “We believe play is a basic human need and the foundation of strong intellectual, physical and emotional development,” Mainella says. “Play is essential to a person reaching his or her full potential.” Mainella was invited to speak in China in September, which resulted in a large delegation from that country attending this conference. She is co-chair of the conference with Brett Wright, chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson.