Sports Development Officer Requirements, Skills & Qualifications

The following common skills and qualifications are required of a Sports Development Officer:

• Bachelor's degree in Sports Development, Physical Education, Health and Exercise Sciences etc
• Pre-entry work experience in community, sport, school or voluntary organisations is essential.
• Coaching experience is highly desirable.
• Excellent leadership ability
• Initiative, self-motivation and the ability to motivate others
• Ability to make decisions under pressure
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, to communicate effectively with all sections of the community
• Ability to work with other individuals in a group setting
• Project-management skills and the ability to manage people, including groups of volunteers
• Capacity to work independently
• Negotiation skills and political awareness of current sports issues
• Excellent organisation, administration and IT skills
• A practical commitment to sport and an in-depth knowledge of a particular sport or a range of sports
• Ability to build up good working relationships with client groups and partner bodies, and work in a team.

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Sports Development Officer skill, qualifications and experience. Job requirements for specific Sports Development Officer roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.