CAREERS FOR SPORTS AND FITNESS FANATICS
Bringing communities together, improving health, endurance and well-being; whilst providing teamwork, coaching others, resilience and leadership skills.
Does this sound like a bit of you? If so, keep reading.
Jobs in the sports sector are extremely diverse, proving that you don’t need to be an athlete or even remotely good at sport to have a career in it.
So let’s have a look together, there is bound to be something to peak your interest!
Personal Trainer
Personal trainers regularly engage with clients to find out about their fitness level and health history. Then it’s time to set realistic short-term and long-term goals and plan how to reach them. Educating, motivating and coaching clients to help them follow their programmes safely and effectively.
People in this career need to be able to communicate effectively, build relationships, whilst having expertise in physical improvement techniques, and the fundamentals of nutrition. With this role you could be self-employed or end up working for big name gyms and leisure centres such as Puregym and Gymbox, to name a couple.
Sports Presenter /Journalist
This role’s typical duties may involve reading bulletins on set, going out reporting on lots of different sports whilst encouraging people to also get involved, interviewing sports professionals, commentating on events before, during and after the fixture, preparing for an event by researching clubs or players, the list goes on.
You might be asking yourself - What skills and abilities do I need to be successful in this role? The answer is passion, good communication, being yourself and letting your personality shine through with good energy.
Potential employers include; talkSPORT, Metro, BBC, PA Media.
Sports Physiotherapist
Dedicated to the assessment and treatment of injuries related to sports and exercise. You’ll find yourself working with people of all levels and ages in this role. The main goal is to get clients out of pain as soon as possible, but also to keep them performing at their best. Whether that be an elite athlete, someone who leisurely plays football at the weekend or an office worker suffering from back pain.
Sports and exercise physiotherapists work in a wide variety of settings. Including many working with active recreational athletes in private practice or clinics. They can also be involved in social and club level sports, attending training sessions as well.
Potential employers include; Pure Sports Medicine, Physio Science, gyms such as Bannatynes etc.
Find us on Instagram username: hicamo.co.uk
Sports Nutritionist
Important in helping clients meet their fitness goals, sports nutritionists are professionals with an in-depth knowledge of the effect that food has on the body. Typically working with a sports person, they get an overview of their training program and current diet including timings and portion sizes. They then make recommendations to improve their nutrition where necessary. This is important as every athlete has a different body, training routine, metabolism and timeline for achieving their goals. To succeed in this role, you need to partner a knowledge of nutrition with creative thinking for times when unique solutions are needed, as well as the communication skills to explain in a simple way the complexity of nutrition.
Potential employers; Commonwealth Games England, The English Institution of Sport, The Protein Works.
Sports Facilities Manager
Usually responsible for managing the operations and facilities of sports and leisure centres. There are a huge range of roles to choose from within this field. Including roles like Centre Manager and Operations Manager.
Sports managers often start off in a specific role such as Lifeguard, Swimming Teacher, Leisure Assistant, Coach or Gym Instructor. In these roles they will gain strong organisation, decision making and leadership skills, then develop these to exceptional standards. Be prepared to work hard and have ambition, with a hunger to learn, and the tenacity to get involved wherever and whenever you can. Some specific skills you will need include arranging timetables, organising and promoting events, controlling budgets, managing staff rotas, taking responsibility for safety and much more.
Potential employers; Leisure centre companies such as David Lloyd, as well as schools, colleges and community centres.
Well there you have it!
Remember, this is just a fraction of the routes you can go down in the Sports and Fitness industry, there is a whole world of opportunities in this industry out there waiting for you.
Please do get in touch with us if you have any queries or would like some help with your career search.
Also if any of your friends/family are unsure of their options, share this blog post with them too!
I don’t know about you, but all of this sports talk has got me working up an appetite. If you’re on the hunt for a quick, healthy meal, you’ve gotta check out this recipe:
https://www.bhg.com/recipe/mediterranean-chicken-wraps/
AUTHOR: GRACE MCGRATH - DIGITAL RESEARCHER