What is a sports facility manager?
The sports facility manager is a professional responsible for a sports or leisure complex. A genuine project manager, they have to handle technical and commercial constraints as much as managerial and human ones, all with the aim of overseeing sporting activities. To achieve this, they make facilities (outdoor or indoor) available to sports clubs while strictly complying with legal standards, particularly when it comes to safety.
With the growth of the leisure sector in Europe and around the world, this career clearly has a bright future, although you need more than one string to your bow to succeed in running a large facility.
A sports facility manager may, for example, be in charge of a multi-sports centre. They will therefore manage its administration, the upkeep of the pitches, the various classes on offer, major events and gatherings, as well as building works and the legal side of the project.
Here are a few examples of the facilities this professional may be responsible for:
- accommodation (campsite, rural gite, holiday village
- a sports club [basketball, athletics, judo, tennis, riding centre, volleyball, badminton, rowing, boxing, hockey, handball, archery, treetop adventure park, karate, table tennis, gym or fitness centre, petanque, fencing, ice rink, squash, golf, aikido...]
- a cinema
- a lake or water sports centre [water skiing, canoeing and kayaking, swimming pool, swimming, paddleboarding, beach volleyball]
- a games venue [arcade, billiards, bowling, casino, darts...]
- a ski resort
A facility manager who can quickly adapt to the different specific features of the facilities they work in will have a clear professional advantage. Beyond management and administration, there can be many particularities depending on the type of establishment they work in. In fact, these particularities often define the greater part of the facility manager's work. It is very different to run a boxing gym, a shooting range, a multi-sports hall, a stadium or a boules court.
To give a few examples, there is the risk of drowning in a water park, the weather at a mountain leisure resort, or looking after animals at a riding centre.
The second key to success is, of course, the rigour and responsibility of the facility manager. Many facilities welcome vulnerable groups, such as children or elderly people. It is therefore up to the facility manager to put in place an absolutely secure environment to prevent any danger to the public and to employees. Rigour also means respect for the venue and for the staff who work there. For example, good working conditions for coaches will encourage them to give 100 % when teaching a sport. Treating animals well will mean that customers will come back and enjoy seeing them. Respecting the landscape and natural environments will strengthen the link between nature and well-being, which benefits customers and the environment as much as the appeal of the venue and its reputation.
The facility manager also needs to anticipate the tastes of customers and the users of the facilities. Unless they enjoy a monopoly, customers may well be able to choose between different sports or leisure venues. It is the facility manager's duty to differentiate their offering in order to give customers a unique experience and keep them coming back. To do so, the team must deliver quality work, and must manage to surprise newcomers. That might mean finding attractive new rides for a theme park, original golf courses, new ski runs, modern machines in an arcade, greater comfort at a campsite, or an eclectic programme at a cinema.
What does a facility manager do?
The sports facility manager handles the day-to-day management and operation of a sports complex or leisure centre: planning and organising activities, supervising teams, maintaining the infrastructure and equipment, and strictly complying with safety standards for users. They also oversee the administrative and budgetary management of the facility, develop partnerships with sports clubs and organise events or competitions to boost visitor numbers.
The essential qualities and skills of a sports facility manager
Having strong leadership is essential in the job of sports facility manager. To be able to run facilities that often welcome hundreds or even thousands of people every week, you have to know how to lead large teams.
- Having strong management skills
- Having excellent knowledge of sport
- Keeping up with technical innovations
- Having a strong sense of organisation
- Being familiar with the world of sports clubs and associations
- Knowing the legislation governing activities open to the general public
Salary and career prospects
Pay for a sports facility manager is hard to pin down, because depending on the size and type of facility they work in, their salary can double. What is more, the facility manager's salary is often proportional to the profit the company makes, so it is tied to the success of the facility's business.
It is generally accepted that you start on a monthly salary between €2,000 and €2,300 net. Mid-career, the professional will earn between 2,300 and 3,000 euros net per month. But an experienced manager working for a large company can easily earn more than 5,000 euros net per month.
The sports and leisure facility management sector includes many different professions. Depending on the type of facility, one job can be very different from another. It is therefore possible to find a wide variety of career opportunities. If they want to develop their own business or take on more responsibility, they can set up their own sports facilities or launch a leisure venue. For example, you can start your career as the manager of a sports club and then buy it out to become its owner a few years later.
Which programme should you take to become a sports and leisure facility manager?
A good manager of a sports facility has often worked on the ground before taking on such responsibilities. Knowing the job, the customers and the facilities makes them better able to understand problems, respond to them and suggest new activities.
To run a facility, knowledge of marketing, business and accounting is essential. A degree from a business school specialising in sport can give students all the knowledge they need. Several options are open to them: bachelor or master, although obtaining a Bac+5 remains recommended.
