Athletics & Recreational Activities Director

Job Summary

The Athletics and Recreational Activities Director is tasked with visioning, implementing, executing, and maintaining recreational ministry programs for church members and the wider community that best utilize the Church/Oak Hill School shared campus facilities. The Director will lead this discipleship-developing ministry by using athletic and recreational offerings to point those involved in recreational programming to Jesus in hopes that those who participate might grow in their own relationships with the Lord while having a great time with one another.

Recreational offerings include opportunities for non-competitive, creative play, team sports, fitness, and fellowship opportunities that develop skills, character, and authentic relationships in a positive, faith-filled environment. These experiences should complement the Church’s mission statement: “To know Christ, to make him known, and to exhibit his love through worship, education, and service.”

God’s person for this role confesses Christ as preeminent in all things (Colossians 1:18) and lives a life reflecting the Lordship of Christ. The Director possesses the right competencies and initiative to lead with excellence, and is someone who desires, above all else, to sow seeds of faith and trust in the lives of the recreation ministry participants.

Job Responsibilities

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY OFFERINGS

• Oversee the use of the pool for congregational life purposes which includes but is not limited to the creation of a healthy
• Creatively engage with other Church ministries to incorporate recreational activities into their ministry programming.
• Design, implement, and oversee year-round recreational offerings for all ages including creative play, sports, sports-related day camp experiences, and fitness opportunities that expand on the faith foundations of home, school, and places of worship in ways that encourage participants to become physically and spiritually active throughout a lifetime and to see themselves more fully as loved children of the living God.
• System to engage FPC staff in hosting Summer Sundays to allow for a free swim for FPC members and friends. Continue to assess how to best use the pool in life-giving ways for church fellowship and recreation.
• One another in a creative and playful environment.
• Creatively assess and direct other opportunities to engage children and families in the life of the church family
• Outside of the current summer programming. Examples may include fishing trips, star gazing, kite flying, etc.
• Provide recreational activities appropriate for All-Church events that enable members and guests of all ages to enjoy

ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

• Organize team assignments, coach recruitment and training, game scheduling, and uniforms for all sports program participants.
• Scheduling software, with the help of the Recreation Ministry Assistant
• Provide timely information to Recreation Ministry Assistant for all sports program e-news and other bulk mailings.
• Oversee all financial operations for the athletic portion of the recreation ministry and ensure all program funds collected
• Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise seasonal sports staff along with facility site assistants when necessary.
• Are accurately recorded and transferred to the Finance Ministry in accordance with established internal controls.
• Oversee and manage Athletic Programs to ensure that children, parents, volunteers, and paid staff are faithfully disciplined through a team sports platform in a way that expands opportunities for them to join and engage in the community at First Presbyterian Church. This currently means running point on spring and fall soccer seasons (7 weeks each) but leaves room to dream about expanding programming in the future to include basketball, pickleball, kickball, ultimate frisbee, etc.
• Continually assess opportunities to offer new sports activities.
• Ensure Recreation Ministry Assistant receives all relevant information and records of team sport participants and volunteers.
• Manage expenditures consistent with budgetary allocations.
• Schedule and manage the use of the gym, pool, fields, equipment, and other assigned campus areas utilizing facility

MANAGERIAL/GENERAL

• Other related duties as deemed necessary and/or assigned.
• In cooperation with the Communications Ministry, develop and distribute advertising, marketing, and promotional materials for the Recreation Ministry throughout the Church and the Nashville community and ensure that recreational offerings are on the church calendar in a timely manner.
• Serve as a community liaison to promote the Recreation Ministry of the Church.
• Select, purchase, maintain and manage Recreation Ministry resources within budgetary allocations including equipment for all programs and facilities.
• Prepare a Recreation Ministry budget for athletics, in consultation with the Recreation Committee, for approval by the Church’s Finance Committee.
• Work with the head of the recreation committee as an accountability partner in this calling to the church and run quarterly meetings of the recreation committee to inform church leadership of current happenings, to receive encouragement, and to troubleshoot any challenges.
• Regularly pursues church members and those involved in the outreach portion of the recreation ministry in a personal way, getting to know them over lunch, golf, phone calls, etc, with a goal of a “contact work, relationship-building” experience at least once each week.
• Develop and maintain a risk management plan for all program operations and ensure compliance with all state and local laws and health regulations.
• Provide and model excellent customer service by demonstrating empathy and exercising innovative program-solving. Ensure a consistent and timely communication system is in place to meet the needs of participants, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
• Work in partnership with Facilities staff and Property Committee to identify and forecast needs, strategic priorities, and improvements to ensure maintenance, replacement, and acquisition of facilities, fields, and equipment within budgetary allocations to support all Recreation Ministry programs.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Adhere to Church policies in management and discipline of supervised staff.
• Supervise Recreation Ministry Assistant, further developing his or her task orientation and job description to best suit the needs of the ministry.
• Conduct performance evaluations that are timely and constructive for all staff employed on a year-round basis.
• The hiring, training, and management of seasonal employees for team sports.

Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS

• Ability to work well with individuals of all ages and use age-appropriate behavior management techniques.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills that build and maintain healthy coworker, volunteer, participant, and stakeholder relationships.
• Motivated and self-directed; a proven strategic problem-solver, influencer, and relational manager with a results orientation; a demonstrated trusted advisor able to effectively present information to decision-makers.
• Familiarity with recreational and sports activities.
• Tech savvy and proficient in Microsoft Office Suite software.
• Strong collaborative skills with proven success in influencing external and internal groups, contributing to cross-functional ministries and congregational engagement.
• Ability to multi-task in a rapidly changing environment; manage multiple projects and diverse teams of people to meet deadlines.
• Ability to develop/maintain well-organized filing and record-keeping systems.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality.

EDUCATION:

• Evidence of a deepening walk with the Lord Jesus. Receive joyfully the biblical admonition to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
• A maturing shepherd of the flock, who loves the Church and her people, committed to the gathering and perfecting of the saints.
• A commitment to performing one’s duties in accordance with the stated mission and purpose of the Church, FPC Policies and Procedures Manual, and the tenants of the Reformed Christian Tradition.
• Bachelor’s degree with a major in recreation, recreational administration, education, youth ministry, or related area.
• A trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, acknowledging him as Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believing in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is also required that the employee except the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the church universal, and God’s word to you. The employee also promises to live in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture.

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs along with successful experience in a position utilizing skills and abilities to interact and lead participants of all ages, is required.
• Three years of working in a managerial capacity in camp/recreation/sports program planning and implementation, preferably in a church or denominational setting, preferred.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid driver’s license and willingness to drive a 15-passenger Church or rental van.
• Current adult and infant CPR plus basic First Aid certifications.
• CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and to move about; to sit for extended periods of time; to use hands to operate office equipment; to lift 30+ pounds at a time, to move quickly and interact with children/youth, to talk and to hear when interfacing with staff, members of the congregation and others in person or on the phone. Vision within normal ranges is required to read documents, file paperwork, and use the computer.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work in varying locations including but not limited to an indoor office, gymnasium, and outdoor environments such as playgrounds, pools, fields, and active outdoor spaces. Outdoor settings include exposure to potentially high heat and high UV rays environments. The noise level in the work environment is dependent on the workspace and may become loud, especially in gymnasiums. Frequent interruptions from staff and/or members of the congregation may occur and affect one’s ability to focus on or concentrate on work at the desk. Exposure to communicable diseases is a factor. Shopping for supplies necessitates the use of the employee’s personal automobile

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