What does a recreation supervisor do?
Recreation Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the operations and service delivery of a recreation program for an organization. Their duties include facilitating the implementation of the recreations program, assist in staff recruitment, scheduling staff roster, developing training sessions, and track employee performance. They manage contracts, conduct community research, perform marketing outreach activities, and serve as a district representative in engaging external parties. Recreational Supervisors also develop marketing materials, coordinate logistic arrangements, monitor inventory, prepare program budgets, and write grant proposals.
Recreation supervisor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real recreation supervisor resumes:
- Manage recreation staff and programming for assist living and rehabilitation and skil nursing facilities.
- Manage activity and progress reports including statistical data require by regulators, initial assessments, MDS and IDC documentation.
- Open, close and run swim center.
- Use of POS system for food and beverage sales
- Develop plans and provide oversight for detailing and finishing work.
- Start as a lifeguard, monitoring swimmers and waders for safety reason.
- Inspect facility daily for cleanliness and safety, and update safety policies and procedures.
- Receive a managerial award for saving a child's life using CPR training and skills.
- Supervise the implementation and employees/contractors of the youth, teen, adult, and summer camp recreation programs.
- Organize, train and run a recreational softball team since summer 2012 and have played every season since.
- Schedule, organize, and supervise intramural events for softball volleyball, soccer, basketball, and flag football.
- Ensure the cleanliness and safety of the facility and equipment by careful inspection at opening, hourly, and closing rounds.
- Oversaw/Supervise soccer leagues and referees.
- Provide direct service including sensory stimulation for coma patients.
- Complete documentation in resident charts for assign caseload and MDS requirements.
Recreation supervisor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of Recreation Supervisors are proficient in CPR, Recreational Facilities, and Payroll. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Flexibility, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Recreation Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CPR, 25%
Trained in First Aid, Fire Safety, SCM, and CPR.
- Recreational Facilities, 11%
Supervised and enforced a safe environment within recreational facilities for students/ faculty members to engage in physical activities.
- Payroll, 8%
Supervised all recreation employees while performing supervisory duties including coaching, counseling as well as payroll and scheduling.
- Safety Procedures, 4%
Explained techniques and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities.
- Front Desk, 3%
Interacted with floor staff, front desk staff and lifeguards to coordinate schedules and various events.
- Performance Evaluations, 3%
Completed performance evaluations and assisted Department Supervisor with quality improvement, discipline issues, time and attendance monitoring and program evaluation.
Common skills that a recreation supervisor uses to do their job include "cpr," "recreational facilities," and "payroll." You can find details on the most important recreation supervisor responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a recreation supervisor to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "recreation workers must be able to communicate well." Additionally, a recreation supervisor resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "designed print communications, promotional content, press releases, and apparel for all responsible program areas. "
Flexibility. Many recreation supervisor duties rely on flexibility. "recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities," so a recreation supervisor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways recreation supervisor responsibilities rely on flexibility: "developed a supervisory structure that maximized flexibility and customer service. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of recreation supervisors is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday recreation supervisor duties, as "recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "plan the owensboro youth summit a leadership conference for teens from surrounding counties in kentucky. "
Physical strength. recreation supervisor responsibilities often require "physical strength." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "most recreation workers should be physically fit." This resume example shows what recreation supervisors do with physical strength on a typical day: "perform tasks requiring physical strengths and/or stamina to effectively rescue victims, administer first aid, and cpr. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for a recreation supervisor to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what recreation supervisors relies on this skill, since "recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills." How this skill relates to recreation supervisor duties can be seen in an example from a recreation supervisor resume snippet: "partnered with management team on planning, conflict resolutions and improved communication. "
The three companies that hire the most recreation supervisors are:
- Great Wolf Resorts86 recreation supervisors jobs
- Hyatt Hotels10 recreation supervisors jobs
- RWJBarnabas Health3 recreation supervisors jobs
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Compare different recreation supervisors
Recreation supervisor vs. Day camp counselor
The job of the camp counselors is to develop recreational plans and oversee camp activities in residential camps. Their duties and responsibilities include organizing camping trips, planning and scheduling group activities, and guiding children and teenagers in various outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking. They are expected to lead campers in emergency procedures and fire drills, explain safety rules and procedures, and provide emotional support to campers. Camp counselors are also responsible for assessing and responding to emergencies when they arise.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a recreation supervisor are more likely to require skills like "recreational facilities," "payroll," "front desk," and "performance evaluations." On the other hand, a job as a day camp counselor requires skills like "kids," "cleanliness," "pet," and "leadership." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Day camp counselors really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $34,530. Comparatively, recreation supervisors tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $45,971.day camp counselors tend to reach similar levels of education than recreation supervisors. In fact, day camp counselors are 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Recreation supervisor vs. Camp counselor
Camp counselors' general responsibility is the supervision of a camping event. Camp counselors' duties include reiterating the rules and regulations, emergency drills and procedures, and related standard protocols to ensure that the campers maintain a safe camping environment. A camp counselor should possess strong leadership and decision-making skills to develop recreational programs and immediately resolve concerns that might affect everyone's overall camping experience. Camp counselors also help develop social interaction, promote teamwork, and monitor participation among campers.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real recreation supervisor resumes. While recreation supervisor responsibilities can utilize skills like "payroll," "front desk," "performance evaluations," and "community events," camp counselors use skills like "kids," "role model," "child care," and "incident reports."
On average, camp counselors earn a lower salary than recreation supervisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, camp counselors earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $29,249. Whereas recreation supervisors have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $45,971.camp counselors earn similar levels of education than recreation supervisors in general. They're 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for recreation supervisors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Samuel Lankford Ph.D.
Chair, Professor, California State University
Recreation supervisor 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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, recreation supervisors are more likely to have skills like "recreational facilities," "payroll," "safety procedures," and "front desk." But a program lead is more likely to have skills like "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction."
Most program leads achieve a similar degree level compared to recreation supervisors. For example, they're 3.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Recreation supervisor 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between recreation supervisors and activities directors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a recreation supervisor might have more use for skills like "recreational facilities," "payroll," "safety procedures," and "front desk." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of activities directors require skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," "resident care," and "customer service. "
In general, activities directors earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $41,547. The highest-paying industry for a recreation supervisor is the government industry.In general, activities directors hold similar degree levels compared to recreation supervisors. Activities directors are 0.0% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of recreation supervisor
Updated January 8, 2025
