Recreation Assistant Job Description

Recreation Assistants: Qualification, Experience and Qualification

Recreation assistants are hired to help with daily activities at senior citizen centers, athletic clubs, physical therapy centers, youth camps and fitness organizations. A supervisor is responsible for delegate tasks related to sports, games, movies, crafts, music and other recreation. The recreation assistants are responsible for setting up equipment and cleaning up after an event.

A recreation assistant doesn't need a formal education. Some facilities hire high school students to work. A recreation assistant helps to enforce the rules.

A recreation assistant could teach children the rules for table tennis or referee a ball game. Recreation assistants should be comfortable working with both the elderly and youth populations and have good customer service, communication and public speaking skills. A patient and positive attitude makes it easier to give assistance to customers.

Entry-level positions are available, but employers often seek recreation assistants who have one to two years of experience. Education and experience are beneficial to the job, but an assistant's friendly personality, creativity, and responsibility level are highly valued by supervisors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that most seasonal and part-time recreation workers learn through on-the-job training or specialized training in art, music, drama or athletics.

Recreation Workers in the United States

Recreation workers help people stay active, improve their fitness and have fun. They work with groups in summer camps, fitness and recreational sports centers, nursing care facilities, nature parks and other settings. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, sports, music, dramatics, or games.

Recreation leaders are responsible for the daily operation of the program. They primarily organize and direct participants, schedule the use of facilities, set up and keep records of equipment use, and ensure that recreation facilities and equipment are used and maintained properly. They can lead classes and teach in a recreational activity.

Camp counselors, activity specialists, and other recreation workers may work weekends or part-time or irregular hours. Depending on where they are employed and the type of activity they lead, seasonal workers can work as little as 90 days or as long as 9 months. In areas of the United States that have warm winters, outdoor swimming pools may use related recreation workers for a majority of the year.

They can only work during the summer in other areas of the country. Workers who gain experience may be promoted to positions with greater responsibilities. Recreation workers with managerial skills can advance to managerial positions.

They may start their own recreation company or become directors of a recreation department. The Holland Code framework states that recreation workers have an interest in Helping and Persuading. The Helping interest area is focused on helping, serving, counseling, or teaching other people.

The Salaries of Recreation Workers

Recreation workers need a high school degree or equivalent and a few weeks of on-the-job training to be eligible for the job. Over the decade, 64,600 openings for recreation workers are projected. Many openings are expected to be caused by the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or retire.

The annual wage for recreation workers was over $30,000 in May 2020. Half of the workers in an occupation earn more than the median wage, and half earn less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,510, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $46,510.