Sports Resume Samples, Template & Writing Guide for 2024
Succeeding in the world of sports isn’t just raw talent.
Whether amateur or pro, you need a good sports resume to open doors.
Sports industry careers abound, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 15% rise in job opportunities by 2029.
Countless people know how to play the game - few know how to sell their skills in a resume.
If you’re wondering how to mention sports activities in resume, read on.
We’ll show you how.
This article includes sports resume templates, resume examples, and excerpt samples.
So, let’s get the ball rolling…
Sports Resume Examples
These sports resumes samples from our resume builder showcase different types of sporting careers and their professional resume format.
Sporting Resumes Examples
How to Write a Good Resume for Sports in 2024: Full Guide to Crafting Successful Sport Resumes
Think of a career in sports, and what comes to mind?
Prestigious student-athletes, pro teams, or a specific professional athlete…
Sure, they’re at the nucleus of the sports industry. However, the sector is multilayered.
High school coaches, trainers, managers, sports medicine, dieticians, marketers, agents, journalists, and commentators, to mention a few. All passionate about sports and making a living out of it.
Whatever path you’ve chosen, it’s a fiercely competitive game on and off the field.
Success means your sport resume must yell, “I’m a winner!”
That said, the resume format mustn’t be loud; keep it professional.
Also, make it a one or two-pager - no more.
While that sounds tough, the secret is to only share what employers want.
Significantly, not all resumes for sports jobs are the same.
Here’s why -
We’ll call them Type A and Type B.
Type A sporting resumes get treated as most other resumes.
They follow a reverse chronological order and include an education section, coursework, work history and skills.
These include resumes for –
- Athletic trainers
- Physical education instructors
- Recreation Coordinators
- Sports medicine
- Sports management
- Sports media
- Sports nutrition
- Sports sales and marketing
Job seekers usually have a bachelor’s degree or relevant work experience. They’re hired full-time by companies, education institutions, the government, and professional clubs.
Type B sports resumes exclude typical sections and only focus on sport-related abilities and achievements.
These include resumes for –
- Personal trainers
- Professional athletes
- Sports agents
- Sports coaches
- Student-athletes
Job seekers may have a bachelor’s degree, but its significance is overshadowed by their sports experience and achievements.
Mostly, these are freelancers or students. Freelancers are hired on a contract basis, and students seek bursaries
Irrespective of whether your sports resume is Type A or Type B, always let the content be guided by the job post.
How to Write a Type A Resume for Sports
Resumes will likely encounter an applicant tracking system or ATS before reaching recruiters.
ATS contain parsing software that scan incoming resumes for critical keywords. There’s a keyword threshold as well.
Recruiters only see a sport resume if it exceeds the keyword threshold.
Beat ATS by identifying critical keywords in the job ad and including them in your resume and job title.
How to Write a Type B Sports Resume
Recruiters may review your resume depending on the role and employer. Or, it could go straight to the hiring manager.
Keywords matter just as much, even if your resume for sports won’t be scanned by parsers.
Because the job description focuses on specific outcomes, other education, skills, and experience matter less.
A type B resume has your personal details, contact information, details of similar projects and references.
Each project can be a single event or an extended contract with a goal, action plan, and end result.
Sometimes education is significant to achieving success.
Work from a Master Sports Resume
An excellent tip is to create a master resume and keep it as a living document.
Simply list all relevant sports jobs you’ve had with details of your employers and dates. Include achievements, education and coursework.
Upload your master to an easily accessible folder and update it when things change.
This simple step makes every job application a steal.
Typical Keywords
Whether you’re making a Type A or Type B sports player resume, it must have keywords taken from the post.
These are some standard sporting keywords –
- Budgets
- Communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Leadership skills
- NCAA
- Team members
- Teamwork
- Time management
Personal Information
Personal information is essential on all sport resumes. How else will people find you?
It must be scannable and have your full name and contact information like phone number and email.
Add your full address or state only.
If you’ve got an up-to-date LinkedIn profile or other professional social media pages, put them here.
Personal Information Example
Business fonts and scannable.
How to Format this Section
Position this section at the top of your sports resume.
Keep it well-spaced, free of unneeded info and use business-style fonts.
Resume Objective and Resume Summary Statement
A sports resume objective is a brief synopsis at the top of your resume and the first thing to be read.
It’s your one chance to stand out from other job seekers. If it reads the same as everyone else’s, though, your resume will be binned with theirs.
Recruiters and hiring managers spend only a few seconds on a resume. Without a brilliant opener, yours will get kicked out of play before the game starts.
Also known as a resume summary, it’s a brief snapshot of your years of experience and achievements fitting the role.
A summary is a short synopsis of your career and achievements. Use it if you have 3+ years of experience.
If you have less experience, write an objective focusing on education, training and future goals.
Either way, you’re wasting time if your intro doesn’t align with the job description and contain vital keywords.
Snap decisions are made, and there’s no VAR to overturn the ruling. It’s like a red card; you’re gone from the playing field in a split second.
A well-constructed resume objective is a powerful teaser to get readers wanting to know more.
Match your objective to the core job requirements, write it with confidence and aim to impress.
Is a Resume Summary the Same as a Cover Letter?
Not at all!
Where a sports resume summary is concise, a cover letter is detailed.
It’s addressed to the intended reader and motivates your job application.
Whilst there’s no limit to a cover letter’s word count, it shouldn’t exceed one page.
Use cover letters in moderation, and never have a generic copy.
Resume Objective for an Entry-Level/Beginner Sports Resume Type
With only three years of experience, this candidate is seeking career growth.
Resume Summary for an Experienced Sports Resume
This is a typical resume summary for an experienced freelancer.
How to Format this Section
Stay with 80 words and include vital keywords, numbers and stats for impact.
Professional Work Experience
Here’s where you list all your sports knowledge and experience related to the job advert.
It’s one of the first places ATS visit.
Match the job requirements with your master resume for sports. Tailor corresponding skills and experience to mirror the ad’s wording.
Avoid including needless details, but don’t exclude essential info either.
Professional Work Experience Example
How to Format this Section
Use the same job title and keywords per the job post.
List your responsibilities in the same order of importance too.
Education
Education requirements in the sports industry are as diverse as the roles it has.
Anything goes, from a bachelor’s degree to coursework, certifications and a high school certificate, depending on the job.
Education carries more significance for entry-level applicants with limited work history. Only include your GPA if it’s 3 or above, though.
Education Example
Accurate and easy to read.
How to Format this Section
Make the education section easy to read and accurate.
If you have several relevant qualifications, list them in descending order from the most recent.
Separate formal education from short courses, writing the institution, qualification and dates.
Skills
Skills is another section favored by ATS.
All sports on a resume come with both hard and soft skills.
For instance, a sports management resume must have leadership skills.
Hard skills are learnable skills acquired through education and experience. Whereas soft skills are associated with personality traits known as interpersonal skills.
Skills Example
List required skills only.
How to Format this Section
Get the vital skills from the job ad and list them in the same order.
Only list skills mentioned. Your aim is to get past ATS and onto the interview shortlist.
References
Close your sport resume with the references section.
Two references are adequate.
If the post doesn’t mention references, list references as available on request.
References Example
Correct details - nothing more.
How to Format this Section
Clear without any unnecessary details.
Related Resume Templates
Not ready to invest in a sport resume template yet?
No problem!
Besides a sports resume template, we’ve got other entry-level templates to use while your sporting star rises –
- High School Resume Example
- Killer Student CV
- Winning Waiter/Waitress CV
- Entry Level Administrative Assistant Resume
Final Points
Let’s recap –
- Use a master resume
- Target each job individually
- Extract keywords from each job post
- Select info from your master resume
- Craft a persuasive resume summary
- Back it up in your sports player resume
- Stay with a one or two-pager
- Write professional but easy-to-read wording
- Use action verbs and upbeat language
- Pay for a resume builder
- Submit your resume in pdf format