Considering a Career in Sport and Leisure?

Posted on Fri, 14 November 2008 12:47:36 (553 Reads)

The recent achievements from our Olympic sporting stars will surely inspire people not only to participate more in sport and physical activity but also to entice them into taking up a career in this fast moving and growing industry.

Some key facts relating to sport and leisure include:

-    Leisure has been one of the fastest growing industries so far in the twenty first century,
-    Sport, leisure and hospitality is a major employer – more than 2.5million people in the UK,
-    Sport and recreation alone employs 621,000 people,
-    The sector continues to create one in four new jobs (BISL, 2006)

It is therefore a major part of the UK economy and has many branches.

Unlike many professions, sport and leisure does not have obvious educational or professional pathways, with clear entry qualifications leading onward to training and advancement, although this is now being addressed and the industry is being professionalised. It is closely related to many other careers, such as planning, business management, marketing and teaching. Skills from these professions are often relevant and create opportunities to cross over into the sport and leisure profession. The Institute for Sport Parks and Leisure ( ISPAL) is the professional body that alongside key partners is leading this agenda.

Job satisfaction in this industry is often very high. In many cases the field of work is an extension of a hobby or interest, for example, sport, gardening, travel. However, it should be noted that working in sport and recreation is very different from enjoying it as a leisure interest. Employment can start straight from school, after several years of study or at a time of career change.

Most of the jobs within the sports, parks and leisure industry involve a great deal of contact with the general public who will be enjoying their leisure time while you are working. An ability to relate to others is essential as is enthusiasm for the job. The work is sometimes undertaken during unsociable hours, at weekends or at holiday times.

In some jobs it is possible to progress by gaining experience and obtaining qualifications while working, but the more senior posts normally require formal qualifications as well as experience.

Having decided which sector you would like to work in it is advisable to contact a relevant specialist organisation. There are too many to include in this article but ISPAL is a good starting point.

ISPAL is the single professional body for sport, parks and leisure recognised by Government.  ISPAL works on behalf of its members to develop the profession and promote the value of investment in sport and leisure services. ISPAL helps those working in sport, parks and leisure to extend their skills, develop their careers and improve the lives of individuals and communities across the United Kingdom.

Where do I go for further information? Ask ISPAL...

Careers information, job opportunities and further information support is available to view or to download from the ISPAL website – www.ispal.org.uk.

Looking for a source of expertise on a subject?

The ISPAL Information Hub is widely acknowledged to be the most comprehensive leisure resource centre in the country and it relies upon a unique combination of data and experience. The resource includes a reference database of around 50,000 indexed items, current and back issues of 200 sport, parks and leisure related journals, 6,000 reference texts, and the ISPAL Bookshop.

The experience is contained within the ISPAL staff, and the network of expertise offered by ISPAL members, partner organisations and other work colleagues with a willingness to share their knowledge.

Short of time to browse the web?

Why not make the ISPAL Information Hub your first point of call? Often advice can be given which provides the right contact reference or even points you to an immediate website thus saving you time searching for what you want. What might seem to be the most difficult questions are questions that the ISPAL Team have had before, so often they are able to help quite quickly.  The principle of sharing answers to the questions that crop up regularly underpin much of the Information Hub's output, from the extensive list of ISPAL fact sheets through to the frequently asked questions which appear within the Members’ area of the ISPAL Website.
If you have any further queries, why not put your question to the Information Centre, by emailing infocentre@ispal.org.uk

Whatever your sport and leisure interest, the profession has something to offer.

If you are considering a career in sport and leisure, good luck; you will not be disappointed if you show commitment and dedicate yourself to providing quality service to leisure customers.


Lucy Roper
Research and Resources Manager





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