How to Become a Fitness Director in Sports

Becoming an expert in fitness can lead to an exciting career in sports. Just ask Chris Brickley, who leveraged his passion for training athletes into an enviable career working with some of the biggest stars in the NBA, including Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. But the field of sports fitness is highly competitive. You need the right qualifications and an optimized application process to get a fitness director job. Don’t worry. We’ll tell you everything you need to know in the sections below. Keep reading to learn how to become a fitness director.

What is Fitness Management?

Most fitness directors who go on to work in the sports industry begin in the fitness management sector. This is an interdisciplinary field that mixes business skills with exercise science. For example, someone in the field of fitness management may be responsible for hiring and overseeing trainers at a gym. The fitness management employee would need to be skilled at leading a business segment and have the in-depth health knowledge necessary to help their trainers deliver successful health outcomes to clients. Fitness management is a broad and growing field. It’s become more popular as people continue living longer and investing more time and energy in looking after their health and wellness. The bottom line is that if you want to become a fitness director in sports, starting with a career in fitness management is the ideal way to do that.

What Does a Fitness Director Do?

A list of fitness director responsibilities can vary significantly from position to position. However, the most common duties for people in this job include the following: Developing action plans Working towards monthly, quarterly, and annual targets Recruiting staff members and training them Managing expenses, purchases, and fitness equipment Oversee facility operations Potentially work directly with athletes or gym members (depending on the position) Put simply, a fitness director is in charge of the fitness-related aspects of a group or organization. This group could be a sports team, a college, a gym, or any other business or team needing this expertise.

Fitness Director Requirements

If you look at a fitness director job description, you’ll almost always see that a bachelor’s degree is required.  This degree typically needs to be in a fitness-related field, such as exercise science or kinesiology. However, you may get by with a business or management degree if you have an extensive background in fitness and have demonstrated that at a high level. Many organizations want applicants to have a master’s degree or doctorate at the highest level. But you shouldn’t need one of these to begin your career. On top of that academic background, a fitness director will usually need to have at least a few years of experience in the field of fitness management. You may even need to become a certified personal trainer if you’re going to work for a gym or a similar kind of public health company.

Fitness Director Salary

The average salary for a fitness director in the U.S. is $53,238 – or about $25.60 per hour. However, the range of salaries for fitness directors is vast, and some make significantly more than $53,000. For example, if you work for a major university or professional sports team as a fitness director, you should make well over six figures – if not seven figures.  That means there are a lot of room to turn this career into a very lucrative one if you get the right experience and become qualified for the highest-level fitness director positions.

How to Find a Job

Once you’ve completed your education, you’ll be ready to look for job opportunities in this field. But your path to getting hired may not yet be complete. Here are three things you can do to increase your chances of getting hired for your ideal position as a fitness director in the sports industry.

Get the Right Experience

You first want to focus on ensuring you have the right experience. This experience will ensure that you’re qualified for your dream job when it becomes available, so you don’t miss your chance. Any fitness management experience you get will be a help. But it would help if you tried to tilt that experience towards sports when possible. For example, volunteering to help with fitness for a local youth sports league could make a big difference in your career. The idea is to seek opportunities that combine your passion for fitness and sports wherever you can . The more you do this, the likelier you’ll be to get hired for a career-level position in this industry.

Focus on Networking

Developing a professional network is another essential part of eventually getting hired as a fitness director in the sports industry. The more people you know, the more opportunities you have to score an interview based on connections alone. Networking often takes place at conferences, trade shows, and other events. But nowadays, you can also expand your professional network online through platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You never know who it’s going to be that eventually helps you land your first position as a fitness director, so it’s essential to do what you can to leave a good impression on everyone you meet.

Use JobInSports.com to Find the Best Fitness Director Job Opportunities

When you’re ready to begin looking for fitness director jobs, JobsInSports.com has you covered. We simplify the job hunt by compiling all the best positions in your area of interest. We’ll send you notifications when new fitness director jobs become available in the geographic area you want to work. That way, you can always be one of the first people to apply. Who knows, it could be what ends up getting you the interview that lands the job.

So why wait? Create an account with JobsInSports.com today to get started.