Getting paid to play might be one way to describe the career of Calvin professor Glen VanAndel.

After graduating from Calvin in 1966 with a degree in education, VanAndel planned to become a physical education teacher, but a part time job with Pine Rest Christian Hospital got him interested in recreational therapy.

So he completed a Masters in Recreation Administration at the University of North Carolina in 1969 and then held a number of clinical and teaching posts before returning to Calvin as a recreation professor in the Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport (HPERDS) department, thus combining his teaching goal with his love for recreational therapy.

"I enjoy play and recreation," he says. "I also enjoy helping people make changes in their lives, being able to bring some hope and healing. Being able to combine these (as a recreation professor) is exciting."

Now his work has been recognized professionally as VanAndel recently was honored with the Garret G. Epley Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University's Department of Recreation and Park Administration. VanAndel received a doctoral degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Indiana in 1986.

VanAndel received the annually presented award this month during the National Recreation and Park Association Conference in Denver this year. He joined an impressive list of former recipients, including James Ridenour, a former Director of the National Park Service.

"I'm humbled by this award," says VanAndel. "I don't feel like I've done as much as some people."

His résumé suggests otherwise.

VanAndel has authored and co-authored several books, including the introductory text "Therapeutic Recreation: A Practical Approach." A service delivery model he developed has become widely used in the field. He was a founding member of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association and currently serves as chair of the association's Standards of Practice committee. VanAndel has been involved in numerous other associations, too, holding posts from editor to treasurer. His articles have appeared in a number of journals and he has lectured throughout the United States.

He also has worked to stay in touch with not just the theory but also the practice of therapeutic recreation. Recently, after a 20-year absence from the field, VanAndel took a sabbatical to work with organizations including Holland Home and Wedgewood. "If I'm going to teach this stuff, I've got to know what's really going on out there," he says.

Therapeutic recreation is a relatively new health care profession, dating back to the 1940's, that, says VanAndel, "uses selected recreation activities and experiences to promote and improve the health and quality of life for individuals who have need of these services."

These may include children in rehab hospitals, people with brain injuries or spinal cord injuries and older individuals in long-term care facilities. Says VanAndel: "The key to all of these is the basic need to play and enjoy life through leisure experiences. To play is to experience our human nature in a rich and special way, to be fully alive."

Calvin has had a Recreation major at Calvin since 1980 when it was introduced as one of the first professional programs. Two decades worth of grads now are working across the world in a variety of organizations, including youth rehabilitation centers, retirement homes, colleges, hospitals and more. Current Calvin students interested in the field earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and can take one of three emphases: either therapeutic recreation, youth leadership/development or community recreation. Classes are taught by VanAndel and HPERDS colleague Don DeGraaf.