Assessment of the recreational needs of students of the university of physical culture: the results of a sociological study

Relevance. The relevance of the study is due to the need to form a competitive segment of recreational services, focused on information about real and potential consumers, their purchasing power, preferences. High motor activity of students of universities of physical culture determines the need for recreation. Therefore, the study of recreational preferences and opportunities of university students of sports direction will allow to determine the most popular means of recreation and develop an effective program for their use, which determines the relevance of the presented study.The purpose of the study was to assess the recreational needs of students of the Federal State budgetary educational institution of higher Education “Kuban State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism” (University of Physical Culture) as a condition for the development of recreational programs focused on the specific needs of this category of recreants.Research methods: theoretical (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and empirical (online questionnaire, ranking, description, interpretation, graphical methods of presenting results).Results. An online questionnaire has been developed to identify the recreational needs of students of the University of Physical Culture, including an assessment of the personal characteristics of respondents, the need for recreational services, the frequency of their use, preferred types of recreation, as well as consumer choice factors. The survey allowed us to accumulate information concerning the recreational needs of students of the University of physical culture.Conclusion. A relatively homogeneous segment of consumers of recreational services has been identified, which is characterized by: the need for recreational activities associated with increased recreational activity and the specifics of the educational process; low purchasing power; low need for a high level of quality of recreational services; preferences in active and extreme types of recreation, in collective types of recreation. The established parameters of the respondents’ recreational needs largely correspond to their age characteristics and the specifics of the educational institution associated with high motor activity of students.The information obtained can be used to develop programs for the effective recovery of athletes after active physical exertion and the educational process, as well as the further development of recreational services in the region.