How to hire athletes and sports competitors

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Assess performance following athletic competition, identifying strengths and weaknesses and making adjustments to improve future performance.
• Attend scheduled practice or training sessions.
• Exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions.
• Maintain equipment used in a particular sport.
• Maintain optimum physical fitness levels by training regularly, following nutrition plans, or consulting with health professionals.
• Participate in athletic events or competitive sports, according to established rules and regulations.
• Receive instructions from coaches or other sports staff prior to events and discuss performance afterwards.
• Represent teams or professional sports clubs, performing such activities as meeting with members of the media, making speeches, or participating in charity events.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential]
• Strong speaking, active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and active learning skills
• Working knowledge of administration and management, English Language and customer and personal service
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $66,710 a year.
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for athletes and sports competitors

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to assess performance following athletic competition, identifying strengths and weaknesses and making adjustments to improve future performance. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to attend scheduled practice or training sessions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to maintain equipment used in a particular sport. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
6. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
7. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What athletes and sports competitors do

• Assess performance following athletic competition, identifying strengths and weaknesses and making adjustments to improve future performance.
• Attend scheduled practice or training sessions.
• Exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions.
• Maintain equipment used in a particular sport.
• Maintain optimum physical fitness levels by training regularly, following nutrition plans, or consulting with health professionals.
• Participate in athletic events or competitive sports, according to established rules and regulations.
• Receive instructions from coaches or other sports staff prior to events and discuss performance afterwards.
• Represent teams or professional sports clubs, performing such activities as meeting with members of the media, making speeches, or participating in charity events.

Skills that matter most

SpeakingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive LearningAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal Service

Education, experience and outlook for athletes and sports competitors

• Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 4 to 6 years (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: +5.5% over ten years, faster than average · about 2,200 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay athletes and sports competitors

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See athletes and sports competitors pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Coaches and Scouts
• Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
• Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
• Amusement and Recreation Attendants
• Athletic Trainers
• Training and Development Specialists
• Self-Enrichment Teachers
• Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
• Dancers
• Musicians and Singers

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.