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Sports development officer

Alternative titles for this job include

Sports development officers organise projects and training to encourage people to take part in sport and have a healthier lifestyle.

Average salary (a year)

£18,000 Starter

to

£30,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

36 to 38 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become Sports development officer

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • volunteering
  • applying directly

University

You'll find it useful to have a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a related subject like:

  • sports development or management
  • sports coaching
  • sports science
  • leisure studies

It's important to get work experience in community sport during your studies as most employers expect this. Talk to your university careers service for help and advice on finding internship, year placement and volunteering opportunities.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

College

You could take a course in college to give you some of the skills and knowledge to start out as a trainee in this role. Courses include:

  • level 2 Qualification in Community Sports Leadership
  • level 3 Certificate in Sports Development

Entry requirements

You may need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can work towards this role by starting with an advanced apprenticeship as a community sport and health officer.

This typically takes around 16 months to complete as a mix of workplace learning and study with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

More Information

Volunteering

You can get useful experience by playing sports, volunteering as a coach, helping out on community and holiday sports schemes, or working with a local sports club.

This can help to build up your skills and confidence and may lead to getting professional coaching qualifications.

You can search for opportunities through:

Direct Application

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this role, for example through coaching qualifications.

More Information

Career tips

There's a lot of competition for jobs, so getting work experience and making contacts through networking will give you more chance of finding work.

Having experience of playing or coaching a range of sports can also be useful.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in sport from The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

UK Coaching has more on how to get coaching qualifications in any sport.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to work well with others
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • leadership skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work on your own
  • knowledge of English language
  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role, you could:

  • find and train staff, coaches and volunteers for projects
  • promote and run projects and activities
  • monitor and evaluate projects
  • find funding, manage resources and budgets
  • put local and national policies into practice
  • attend meetings, seminars and conferences
  • coach or supervise sports activities

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a school, on a sports field, at a fitness centre or at a college.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience you could become a sports development manager or a regional manager.

You may be able to move into policy development or work as a consultant on a freelance basis.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Sport & Health Officer apprentice

  • Wage: £9,984 to £17,846.40 a year Annually
  • Location: GROVE STREET, BARNSLEY

Apprentice Sports Coach

  • Wage: £9,984 a year Annually
  • Location: Colchester

Courses In England

Foundation Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development

  • Provider: NCG
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Carlisle

Sports Coaching and Development Level 3

  • Provider: COLCHESTER INSTITUTE
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Colchester

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