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What does a sports coordinator do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Joel Reece Ph.D.

The sports coordinator is responsible for leading all sports-related activities and works with other members to manage various sports programs that are in place for students. It is part of their responsibility to lead all sports activities, including preparation of the sports calendar and making sure the rules of all inter-school sports competitions are followed. They coordinate with a team of people to help in promoting sports as a healthy activity for students. Moreover, they are the point of contact for sports-related concerns and handling the approved budget for sports.

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Sports coordinator responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real sports coordinator resumes:

  • Manage, supervise and oversee tournament completion for several NCAA tournaments and championships.
  • Assist in oversight of summer camp and after-school programs.
  • Facilitate various training and orientation classes, including the lifeguard certification class, CPR class, and professional rescuer class.
  • Run adult and youth sports leagues and classes including but not limit to basketball, floor hockey, volleyball and more.
  • Coordinate volleyball tournament between village youth centers
  • Maintain CPR certifications throughout seasons for emergency purposes.
  • Help Medicaid eligible members to secure both physical and behavioral services in the community by reviewing and preparing prior authorization requests.
  • Coordinate all sports on Jr high campus, budgets and schedules.
  • Demonstrate a range of sport-specific skills in a clear, safe manner.
  • Teach a wide range of sport-specific skill sets in a clear, concise, friendly manner.

Sports coordinator skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Sports Coordinators are proficient in CPR, Softball, and Volleyball. They’re also known for soft skills such as Flexibility, Physical strength, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Sports Coordinators that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CPR, 18%

    Demonstrated expertise in responding to passenger medical emergencies and administering First Aid and CPR.

  • Softball, 9%

    Coordinated seasonal recreation adult leagues for basketball and softball.

  • Volleyball, 7%

    Coordinated volleyball tournament between village youth centers

  • Intramural Sports, 7%

    Developed and implemented intramural sports activities for over 120 sorority members.

  • Equipment Inventory, 5%

    Maintain records relative to participation and equipment inventory.

  • Youth Soccer, 5%

    Developed and coordinated Houston Metropolitan youth soccer league, organized and promoted multicultural youth interaction through soccer activities.

Most sports coordinators use their skills in "cpr," "softball," and "volleyball" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential sports coordinator responsibilities here:

Flexibility. One of the key soft skills for a sports coordinator to have is flexibility. You can see how this relates to what sports coordinators do because "recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities." Additionally, a sports coordinator resume shows how sports coordinators use flexibility: "trained associates in several aspects of the sales floor which increased flexibility. "

Physical strength. Another essential skill to perform sports coordinator duties is physical strength. Sports coordinators responsibilities require that "most recreation workers should be physically fit." Sports coordinators also use physical strength in their role according to a real resume snippet: "head athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach for the women's volleyball, men's basketball and cheerleading teams. "

Leadership skills. sports coordinators are also known for leadership skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to sports coordinator responsibilities, because "recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups." A sports coordinator resume example shows how leadership skills is used in the workplace: "provided excellent leadership and support to the youth, teen and adult programs within the guidelines of the ymca. "

Problem-solving skills. sports coordinator responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills." This resume example shows what sports coordinators do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "mediate the resolution of problems, issues, and concerns that may arise between coaches and athletic programs. "

Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a sports coordinator to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what sports coordinators relies on this skill, since "recreation workers must be able to communicate well." How this skill relates to sports coordinator duties can be seen in an example from a sports coordinator resume snippet: "represent and recruit at business expos, community events, and press communications. "

See the full list of sports coordinator skills

The three companies that hire the most sports coordinators are:

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Compare different sports coordinators

Sports coordinator vs. Activities/volunteer

An activity volunteer is responsible for supporting community activities for the benefit of the citizens and social development in general. Activity volunteers assist in fundraising activities, coordinating with other organizations for sponsorship, recruiting target audience, planning the program outline, and releasing promotional materials, press releases, and media marketing. Activity volunteers must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on negotiating with suppliers and vendors for the activity materials with minimal costs. They should also be able to address the participants' inquiries and concerns and resolve any issues that may arise during the activity preparation.

The annual salary of activities/volunteers is $9,687 lower than the average salary of sports coordinators.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between sports coordinators and activities/volunteers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like cpr, softball, and community events.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a sports coordinator are more likely to require skills like "volleyball," "intramural sports," "equipment inventory," and "youth soccer." On the other hand, a job as an activities/volunteer requires skills like "community resources," "senior care," "financial statements," and "memory care." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

The education levels that activities/volunteers earn slightly differ from sports coordinators. In particular, activities/volunteers are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a sports coordinator. Additionally, they're 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Sports 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.

A career as a group leader brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a sports coordinator. In fact, group leaders salary is $57,918 higher than the salary of sports coordinators per year.A few skills overlap for sports coordinators and group leaders. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "cpr," "safety procedures," and "conflict resolution. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, sports coordinator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "softball," "volleyball," "intramural sports," and "equipment inventory." Meanwhile, a group leader has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "osha," "center management," and "dexterity." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, group leaders achieve similar levels of education than sports coordinators. They're 1.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for sports coordinators in the next 3-5 years?

Joel Reece Ph.D.Joel Reece Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Brigham Young University–Hawaii

I think the use of wearable technology used by both fitness and health care professionals to observe, monitor, and encourage behavior change among clients will become a more normal practice. Learn how to use the data provided by wearable technology to teach about personal behavioral patterns and opportunities to improve health and quality of life.

Sports 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.

On average scale, site leaders bring in higher salaries than sports coordinators. In fact, they earn a $22,324 higher salary per year.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from sports coordinator resumes include skills like "softball," "volleyball," "intramural sports," and "equipment inventory," whereas a site leader is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "project management," "logistics," and "patients. "

When it comes to education, site leaders tend to earn similar degree levels compared to sports coordinators. In fact, they're 1.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Sports coordinator vs. Recreation specialist

A recreation specialist is responsible for planning and organizing engaging activities according to the event's purpose and community theme. Recreation specialists handle the event's outline from conceptualization to the actual execution, including the location, resources, participants, and budget limitations. They consider the needs of the participants and develop strategic plans that would cater to their lifestyle, growth, and development. A recreation specialist may also conduct outreach operations to gain sponsors and fundraising to enhance community events.

Recreation specialists typically earn lower pay than sports coordinators. On average, recreation specialists earn a $3,376 lower salary per year.While both sports coordinators and recreation specialists complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like cpr, community organizations, and field maintenance, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between sports coordinators and recreation specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a sports coordinator might have more use for skills like "softball," "volleyball," "intramural sports," and "equipment inventory." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of recreation specialists require skills like "customer service," "recreation programs," "rehabilitation," and "social work. "

Recreation specialists enjoy the best pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $35,035. For comparison, sports coordinators earn the highest salary in the education industry.recreation specialists reach similar levels of education compared to sports coordinators, in general. The difference is that they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of sports coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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