What does a recreation coordinator do?
Typically working for recreation facilities, a recreation coordinator specializes in planning and organizing recreational activities for large groups of individuals. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify the clients' needs, coordinating with teams to conceptualize plans and themes, setting schedules and objectives, liaising with internal and external parties, and monitoring the progress of all operations from planning to conception. Furthermore, as a recreation coordinator, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Recreation coordinator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real recreation coordinator resumes:
- Manage funds and resources to include developing the annual NAF budget, which include submission and prioritization of program component requirements.
- Communicate with veterans daily; fulfill shopping requests and arrange communication with family members.
- Assist with transitioning veterans into facility during initial check-in process including pulling and documenting medical records.
- Design and disseminate survey instruments to assess and provide analysis of sporting initiatives and programs for regional management and corporate leadership.
- Incorporate knowledge of therapeutic concepts and methods for determining appropriate recreation therapy services for psychiatric, and chemically dependent, patients.
- Plan and lead activities to help patients with mental, physical, and memory skills.
- Maintain written and personal communication with general public and local community through ongoing PowerPoint presentations, weekly newsletters and monthly newspaper.
Recreation coordinator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Recreation Coordinators are proficient in CPR, Therapeutic Recreation, and Recreation Programs. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Flexibility, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Recreation Coordinators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CPR, 22%
Initial and continual training and teaching of CPR, first aid and aquatic rescues to Walt Disney World lifeguards.
- Therapeutic Recreation, 10%
Assumed responsibilities as Acting Director of Therapeutic Recreation while the Director of Therapeutic Recreation was on medical leave.
- Recreation Programs, 9%
Coordinated prisoner recreation program, and ensured compliance of program with Navy, American Correctional Association, and facility specific regulations.
- Recreation Facilities, 5%
Provide information to guests about available recreation facilities and activities.
- Sports Programs, 4%
Helped develop youth sports programs * Provided counseling sessions for troubled youths * Co-run a recreation facility and managed/monitored all money generated
- Community Resources, 4%
Scheduled events and developed community resources that provided educational, cultural and recreational activities.
Most recreation coordinators use their skills in "cpr," "therapeutic recreation," and "recreation programs" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential recreation coordinator responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a recreation coordinator to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "recreation workers must be able to communicate well." Recreation coordinators often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "worked on the development and production of publications and communication plans for the city of henderson parks and recreation program. "
Flexibility. Many recreation coordinator duties rely on flexibility. "recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities," so a recreation coordinator will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways recreation coordinator responsibilities rely on flexibility: "cited for excellence in interpersonal communications, teamwork, customer service, flexibility and reliability. "
Leadership skills. This is an important skill for recreation coordinators to perform their duties. For an example of how recreation coordinator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a recreation coordinator: "developed a leadership program for teens learning to become coaches, referees and sports mentors. ".
Physical strength. For certain recreation coordinator responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical strength." The day-to-day duties of a recreation coordinator rely on this skill, as "most recreation workers should be physically fit." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what recreation coordinators do: "developed and coordinated therapeutic recreation for teenagers who were impacted by issues such as chemical dependency and physical abuse. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for recreation coordinator responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of recreation coordinators all the time, as "recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills." An excerpt from a real recreation coordinator resume shows how this skill is central to what a recreation coordinator does: "promote cultural and community awareness, conflict resolution and self-confidence. "
The three companies that hire the most recreation coordinators are:
- Hilton Grand Vacations9 recreation coordinators jobs
- The Salvation Army5 recreation coordinators jobs
- CAMBA4 recreation coordinators jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable recreation coordinator resume templates
Build a professional recreation coordinator resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your recreation coordinator resume.
Compare different recreation coordinators
Recreation coordinator vs. Group leader
A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success. Duties of a group leader also include setting the team's expectations, providing necessary resources to make the task successful, and sharing regular updates on the team's performance. A group leader requires to have strong leadership and problem-solving skills to manage team concerns and resolve complaints quickly and efficiently.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between recreation coordinators and group leader. For instance, recreation coordinator responsibilities require skills such as "therapeutic recreation," "recreation programs," "recreation facilities," and "sports programs." Whereas a group leader is skilled in "customer service," "osha," "center management," and "dexterity." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that group leaders earn slightly differ from recreation coordinators. In particular, group leaders are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a recreation coordinator. Additionally, they're 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Recreation coordinator vs. Program lead
A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands. They have a clear understanding of the organization's long-term goals and outline plans to define those objectives, bringing new programs to light following clients' specifications that would help the business grow revenues, maintain customer satisfaction, and keep its good reputation, and achieve profitability goals.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, recreation coordinator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "therapeutic recreation," "recreation programs," "recreation facilities," and "sports programs." Meanwhile, a program lead has duties that require skills in areas such as "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Program leads tend to reach similar levels of education than recreation coordinators. In fact, they're 2.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for recreation coordinators in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Clinton J. Warren
Lecturer, University of Minnesota
Recreation coordinator vs. Site leader
A site leader is responsible for managing the staff's performance, ensuring the smooth delivery of daily operations, and guiding the successful project completion by maximizing the staff's productivity within the specified timeframe and budget goals. Site leaders work closely with the clients, together with the site manager, to identify their specifications and requirements, as well as providing progress updates and suggesting design adjustments as needed. A site leader also performs safety inspections, making sure that all the staff follows the required operational procedures and regulations to prevent hazards and delays in project deliverables.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, recreation coordinators are more likely to have skills like "therapeutic recreation," "recreation programs," "recreation facilities," and "sports programs." But a site leader is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "project management," "logistics," and "patients."
Site leaders typically earn similar educational levels compared to recreation coordinators. Specifically, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Recreation coordinator vs. Activities director
An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities. Since most activities directors work at a healthcare facility or elderly institution, they must also monitor the health of the participants by conducting therapeutic activities and evaluate the participants' progress for every program. The activities director must be a critical-thinker, as well as have excellent communication skills to coordinate with facilities personnel for successful activity completion.
Types of recreation coordinator
Updated January 8, 2025
