Sports development jobs

Type of Job

Working as a sports development officer you will be helping to improve access to sport and physical activity for people of all ages and abilities.

What is the job about?

Sports development officers help to organise projects, programmes, information and training that are designed to help people to increase their activity levels and lead a healthier life.

The work could involve:

• Working with local communities to identify the need for new activities
• Improving access to sport for young people - especially for people with disabilities and people from disadvantaged communities
• Providing support for initiatives to reduce crime and rehabilitate offenders
  
  

Typical duties would therefore include:

• Putting local and national policies into practice
• Locating funding opportunities
• Organising, promoting and running projects and events
• Monitoring and evaluating these projects
• Locating and training staff, coaches and volunteers for projects
• Managing resources and budgets.
  
  

Sports development officers can work with a County Sports Partnership or local authority, or concentrate on a specific sport, working for a national governing body.

Key Skills & Knowledge needed

All sports development officer will need to have both enthusiasm and knowledge of sports and healthy living. Skills needed include:

• Good communication skills
• Leadership skills
• The ability to motivate both yourself and others
• Good project management skills
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Good IT and administrative skills.

Qualifications and experience needed

Sports development officers usually have a degree or equivalent, most often in subjects like sports development, sports coaching, sports science or recreation/leisure management.

You also have to show a practical commitment to sport, which you can do by getting involved (either paid or as a volunteer) in sports, coaching, or community and holiday sports schemes.

Many sports development officers have a background in coaching, and can often coach a number of different sports or activities.

What other training and development could I do?

You can keep your knowledge current by joining the Institute for Sports, Parks and Leisure (ISPAL) - they offer a continuing professional development programme.

Other skills you could acquire include marketing, finance and human resource management.

Salary and benefit expectations

Salaries can range from ?20,000 to ?35,000 a year, with managers earning up to ?50,000.

Where else can I go for more information?

LGcareers
www.lgcareers.com

SkillsActive
Castlewood House
77-91 New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1PX
Advice line: 08000 933300
www.skillsactive.com

British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)
Leeds Metropolitan University
Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education
Fairfax Hall
Headingley Campus
Beckett Park
Leeds
LS6 3QS
Tel: 0113 8126 162
www.bases.org.uk

Institute for Sports, Parks and Leisure (ISPAL)
Abbey Business Centre
1650 Arlington Business Park
Theale
Reading
Berkshire
RG7 4SA
Tel: 0844 418 0077
www.ispal.org.uk