Improving communities through sport

Credentials for Your Potential Sports Facilities Director

Multitasking-Sports-Facilities-Director

What to Look for When Hiring a Sports Facilities Director

We at Sports Facilities Advisory understand how much time and effort it takes to run your sports complex or recreation center. Nets need to be repaired, referees hired, tournaments scheduled, and employees must be paid appropriately and on time. Because a sports complex director ensures these areas of your business run smoothly, it’s essential that you choose the right candidate for the job. SFA has created this guide to finding the right candidate to direct your sports facilities.

The Essential Duties of a Sports Facilities Director

Let’s start with the essential functions of a sports facilities director. Sports Facilities Advisory suggests hiring a candidate who can perform the following tasks:

  1. Plan, coordinate and supervise the simultaneous use of various sports complexes.
  2. Schedule practices, inventory supplies, write a budget plan, delegate equipment repairs, order new equipment and prepare for competitions.
  3. Hire employees, determine salaries, assign facility fees and collaborate with directors of other sports facilities.
  4. Create and organize evacuation routes, set up security systems and ensure the best safety precautions are in place.

Desired Traits of a Sports Complex Director

As you can see, a sports facilities director combines the skills of a manager, a sports official and a groundskeeper. What special breed of person should you look for to accomplish this wide range of tasks? Here’s what we believe it takes to be a great sports complex director:

  1. A knack and enthusiasm for multi-tasking
  2. Good interpersonal and communication skills
  3. A passion for sports
  4. Organized and efficient
  5. A friendly, approachable and positive attitude

Pertinent Experience and Training

As important as personality traits are, we know little can make up for experience. The recent rise in sports tourism means there may be more positions than potential candidates with prior experience as sports facilities directors. Accredited universities have begun to fill this void by offering sports management degrees. Other degrees give the resources to make for a good candidate, including business administration and management.
Many universities and professional sports teams also offer internship opportunities. A candidate with this experience will better understand the day-to-day requirements of the job and have the potential to quickly adapt to the environment of your sports complex or recreation center.
All sports risk potential injury, no matter how you work to minimize this risk, and your sports facilities director is often on the scene when mishaps occur. If you have a pool, make sure your candidate has or can easily obtain a Pool Operator Certificate. A CPR and First Aid-Certified sports complex director will also help make your sports complex or recreation center safe and athlete friendly.
SFA knows the importance the role of the sports facilities director has on your business. If you’re struggling to find the right sports complex director for your business, or you need help getting your sports complex or recreation center to meet its potential, contact us at SFA. Our sister company, Sports Facilities Management, can help you get where you want to be.

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