Sports and Recreation Program Leaders
On this page
Job description
These individuals lead and evaluate individuals and groups in sports, recreation, fitness, and athletics programs. They plan, implement, and carry out programs pertaining to these fields. They supervise sporting and recreational activities. They work in:
- Resorts
- Recreation centres
- Outdoor centres
- Health care facilities
- Correctional facilities
- Tourist sites
- Retirement homes
- Community centres
- Sports and fitness clubs
- Private companies
Main tasks
- Recommend therapeutic sports or athletic activities.
- Teach sports, arts, crafts, and other similar activities.
- Provide fitness advice.
- Set up, maintain, and repair devices and equipment for sports and games.
- Assist in the logistics and coordination of special events.
- Attend to special needs clients.
- Ensure that safety procedures are followed.
- Provide first aid or emergency care when needed.
- Maintain up-to-date records and logs.
- Draft reports.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $16.10
- Median
- $18.00
- Maximum
- $28.32
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 59.6% Female
- 40.4% Male
- 59.6% Female
- 40.4% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 7141% of jobs
-
NAICS 6123% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6238% of jobs
-
NAICS 917% of jobs
-
NAICS 816% of jobs
-
Others15% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 7141% of jobs
-
NAICS 6123% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6238% of jobs
-
NAICS 917% of jobs
-
NAICS 816% of jobs
-
Others15% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
DCS in community Recreation Leadership Training
Placement rate: 67%
31.2% of graduates pursue further studies
University
Exercise science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 49.7%
42.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 64.2%
29.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Recreology
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 80%
10.6% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 60%
20% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Demonstrated ability in a particular sport, recreation, or fitness discipline.
Sometimes required
- Certification in a field of endeavour, sport, or fitness (e.g. ski instructor certification) is usually required.
- First aid and CPR training are usually required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Teaching
- Service oriented
- Data collection
- Oral expression
- Social perception
- Active listening
- Result evaluation
- Coordination
- Time management
- Judgment and decision-making
- Critical thought
Abilities
- Overall coordination of the body
- Endurance
- Core strength
- Verbal skills
- Physical flexibility in extension
- Speech clarity
- Dynamic strength
- Oral comprehension
- Limb coordination
- Static muscle power
- Speech recognition
- Awareness of issues
- Distance vision
- Selective attention
- Manual dexterity
- Overall balance of the body
- Information organization
- Originality
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Dynamic physical flexibility
- Near vision
Knowledge and attributes
- Autonomy
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Knowledge of customer and personalized services
- Capacity to work in a team
- Vitality
- Creativity
- Friendliness
- Respect others
- Pedagogical knowledge
- Capacity to facilitate a group
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
- Exercer une activité sportive ou physique
- Work outdoors
- Teach or educate
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Official name of the NOC 54100
Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness
Job titles
- Day camp leader
- Vacation camp leader
- Pool lifeguard
- Fishing seminar leader
- Playground leader
- Recreation leader
- Sports leader
- Sports and leisure leader
- Animateurs/animatrices d'activités en gériatrie
- Camp counsellor
- Day camp counsellor - recreation
- Vacation camp counsellor
- Camp coordinator
- Life enrichment coordinator - recreation and fitness
- Pool coordinator - recreation
- Certified personal trainer
- Personal trainer
- Certified fitness appraiser
- Fitness appraiser
- Professional golf instructor
- Professional tennis instructor
- Aerobics instructor
- Martial arts instructor
- Athletics instructor
- Chess instructor
- Horseback riding instructor
- Weightlifting instructor
- Bridge instructor
- Fitness instructor
- Fitness leader - aerobic fitness
- Physical training instructor
- Golf instructor
- Swimming instructor - sports
- Skydiving instructor
- Inline skating instructor
- Roller-skating instructor
- Pilates instructor
- Snowboarding instructor
- Skateboarding instructor
- Windsurfing instructor
- Tennis instructor - sports
- Yoga instructor
- Arts and crafts instructor
- Callisthenics instructor
- Dressage instructor
- Recreation instructor
- Sports instructor
- Search and rescue crew member - sports and recreation
- Cultural activities leader
- Riding master
- Fencing instructor
- Fitness leader
- Fitness leader - aquatic fitness
- Fitness leader - fitness for older adults
- Fitness leader - strength and conditioning
- Physical training leader
- Gymnastics instructor
- Jujitsu instructor
- Judo instructor
- Karate instructor
- Swimming instructor - recreation
- Ice-skating instructor
- Leisure program leader
- Bowling instructor
- Ski instructor - sports and recreation
- Tai-chi instructor
- Tennis instructor - recreation
- Playground worker
- Arts and crafts leader
- Arts and crafts leader - sports and recreation
- Arts and leisure leader
- Ski patrol
- Bridge teacher
- Gymnastics teacher
- Fitness supervisor
- Beach lifeguard
Skill type
Art, culture, recreation and sport
Last update: January 29, 2026