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Parks recreation director skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Doug Kennedy CPRP

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical parks recreation director skills. We ranked the top skills for parks recreation directors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.9% of parks recreation director resumes contained aquatics as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a parks recreation director needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 parks recreation director skills for your resume and career

1. Aquatics

Here's how parks recreation directors use aquatics:

Manage recreation center, aquatics center, enrichment center, childcare, sports fields and all recreation programming.
Supervised the operation of Sports & Wellness Department, consisting of Fitness, Aquatics and Physical Education.

2. Recreation Programs

Recreational programs aim at providing recreation and related activities for individuals with disabilities to aid in their mobility, independence, employment, socialization, and community integration. These programs are designed to promote the development of social skills that are necessary to integrate the disabled people into the community. Vocational skills Music, Dancing, Handicrafts, Art, and Homemaking, development, Leisure education, Physical education and sports are few activities that these programs may include.

Here's how parks recreation directors use recreation programs:

Coordinated and/or facilitated a wide variety of educational, instructional and recreation programs and services.
Developed a training and safety policy for staff and evaluation tools for recreation programs/instructors.

3. Flag Football

Here's how parks recreation directors use flag football:

Constructed various tournaments for the youth including flag football, basketball, pool, and table tennis.
Administered softball, volleyball, flag football, basketball, and youth football programs.

4. Recreational Facilities

Recreational facilities aim to provide comfort and relief by providing different recreational activities and services. Some of these recreational facilities may include swimming pools, spas, playgrounds, gyms, and entertainment centers

Here's how parks recreation directors use recreational facilities:

Derived fiscal year budgets for recreational facilities and created revenue generating tournaments through national and local sponsorship.
Develop and administer policy and procedure for recreational facilities and programs.

5. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how parks recreation directors use cpr:

Prepared to use certified CPR in case of emergency.
Maintain First Aid and CPR certification Student Recreation and Wellness Center Membership Service Representative

6. Program Development

Program development refers to a road for developers to guide them on creating and developing viable community programs. Since it provides an action plan for the project, it is a continuous process that only ends with the program's full implementation.

Here's how parks recreation directors use program development:

Involved in program development, managing recreation staff, and overseeing sports operations such as spending activities and development of budgets.
Implement strategic planning processes for program development and direct a comprehensive recreational sports and fitness programs and activities.

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7. Community Organizations

Community organizations refers to a form of social or volunteer work that focuses on bettering a community. This may be a community defined by geographic boundaries or by a person's racial or sexual identity. These organizations are often nonprofits that help groups of people affected by natural disasters or hate crimes.

Here's how parks recreation directors use community organizations:

Develop working relationships with local schools, community organizations, and businesses.
Managed program facilities and coordinated activities among 15 separate community organizations.

8. Athletic Fields

Athletic fields are large synthetic turf sports fields used for physical sports such as Football, Rugby, Track Sprint, or similar Olympic sports. Athletic fields are used in college sports fields or in large stadiums for national sports.

Here's how parks recreation directors use athletic fields:

Prepare and maintain athletic fields, swimming pools and related facilities.
Perform multiple tasks daily in order to maintain all athletic fields.

9. Master Plan

Here's how parks recreation directors use master plan:

Developed strategic facility master plan resulting in annual membership increases from 35% to 65%.
Collaborated with Parks and Recreation Commission to research, design and implement a facility master plan.

10. Performance Evaluations

Performance evaluation is a formal and productive process to measure an employee's work and results based on their job responsibilities over a defined period of time and to properly measure an employee's contribution to the workforce and employers and achieve a high level of quality and quantity of work produced. The evaluation also helps employees provide information about deficiencies in job performance and the company's expectations for the future.

Here's how parks recreation directors use performance evaluations:

Instituted completion of first ever Agency wide performance work plans, providing employee mid-cycle and final performance evaluations.
Benchmarked employee salary increases against current standards and performed employee performance evaluations.

11. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how parks recreation directors use oversight:

Developed and executed fiscal budget requirements for the department including oversight of all contract expenditures.
Provided oversight to Agency wide management and productivity improvements initiatives.

12. Community Events

Community events are the events scheduled within the community.

Here's how parks recreation directors use community events:

Organized and planned community events such as weekly picnics and recreational games
Volunteered on several organizations for community events.

13. Golf Courses

Golf courses are grounds that facilitate golfing matches for competition and recreation.

Here's how parks recreation directors use golf courses:

Provided administrative oversight of the city's three Golf Courses and 12 court Tennis Center.

14. Capital Improvement Projects

Here's how parks recreation directors use capital improvement projects:

Worked closely with the City's Redevelopment Agency in prioritizing and implementing capital improvement projects.
Developed and oversee capital improvement projects.

15. Strategic Plan

Here's how parks recreation directors use strategic plan:

Created and initiated execution on a ten-year strategic plan for development and capital improvement.
Lead strategic planning initiatives and organized weekly & monthly financial reporting.

5 Parks Recreation Director resume examples

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Dr. Doug Kennedy CPRP

Professor, Virginia Wesleyan University

Even before Covid I could see a switch in the workplace to more of a focus on work-life balance. Covid amplified that and we re-discovered the outdoors and recreation participation, and have seen a huge growth in the variety of sports for both participants and spectators. In short, people are seeing the value of recreation in their leisure time, and the importance of both, like never before.

Do you want to know more?

List of parks recreation director skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a parks recreation director resume and required skills for a parks recreation director to have include:

Aquatics
Recreation Programs
Flag Football
Recreational Facilities
CPR
Program Development
Community Organizations
Athletic Fields
Master Plan
Performance Evaluations
Oversight
Community Events
Golf Courses
Capital Improvement Projects

Strategic Plan
Payroll
Construction Projects
Facility Maintenance
Financial Reports
Facility Management
Swimming Pools
Community Relations
Risk Management
Advisory Boards
Tourism
Lifeguard
Field Maintenance
Tennis Courts

Human Resources
Civic Organizations
Sports Leagues
Athletic Program
Recreation Centers
Mowing
Public Speaking
Customer Complaints
Children Ages
Local Organizations
Community Programs
Recreation Board

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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