Association Youth Sports Director

We are looking for you to lead our Sports Department! Join our Team!

Job Description

The Association Sports Director provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for youth and adult sports programs across the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region. This position is responsible for ensuring safe, high-quality, and consistent sports operations through effective staff leadership, volunteer development, risk management, program innovation, fiscal oversight, and operational excellence. The Association Sports Director works collaboratively with branch leadership to establish best practices, standardize procedures, and strengthen sports programming while creating exceptional experiences for participants, coaches, volunteers, officials, members, and families.

The Association Sports Director develops and supports high-performing teams by recruiting, training, mentoring, and evaluating staff and volunteers while ensuring compliance with YMCA standards, state and local regulations, and industry best practices. This position serves as the association-wide resource for sports operations, volunteer management, coach development, league administration, safety, and community partnerships, advancing the YMCA's mission through innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Minimum age of 21 with a high school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in Sports Management, Recreation, Physical Education, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum five years of leadership experience in youth sports, recreation, athletics, or a related field, with demonstrated success in staff leadership, volunteer management, program development, customer service, and operational oversight.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, technology, and problem-solving skills with the ability to build relationships, manage multiple priorities, and lead association-wide initiatives.
• Current CPR/AED and First Aid certifications (or ability to obtain within required timeframe), completion of YMCA required training upon hire, and ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and travel between association locations.
  
  

Essential Functions

• Provide association-wide leadership and supervision for youth and adult sports operations, ensuring consistent, safe, and high-quality programs across all branches.
• Champion a culture of excellence by leading high-quality programs, promoting membership and program participation, and creating welcoming, engaging, and five-star experiences for members, participants, and families.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate operational standards, league procedures, coach development, volunteer management, safety protocols, and risk management practices that meet YMCA, state, local, and national governing body standards.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, develop, and evaluate sports staff, officials, and volunteers while fostering a culture of accountability, sportsmanship, inclusion, and exceptional customer service.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, monitor financial performance, and recommend strategies that support operational efficiency, participant growth, and long-term sustainability.
• Lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of youth and adult sports programs, leagues, clinics, camps, tournaments, and special events that meet community needs and align with the YMCA's strategic priorities.
• Ensure all sports staff and volunteers complete required certifications, background screenings, abuse risk management training, and ongoing professional development.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with branch leadership, schools, athletic organizations, community partners, municipalities, and other stakeholders to strengthen sports programming and community impact.
• Respond promptly and professionally to participant and member concerns, resolve operational issues, and model a welcoming, inclusive, and service-focused environment for participants, families, staff, volunteers, and officials.
• Travel between association locations as needed, maintain compliance with YMCA policies and abuse risk management standards, ensure the safety and well-being of participants through appropriate supervision and reporting practices, and perform other duties as assigned.
• Serve as a leader in branch fundraising activities for the Annual Support Campaign, including the solicitation of funds to support financial assistance, military family initiatives, community outreach, and branch goals and objectives.
• Ensures the safety and well-being of consumers by maintaining professional boundaries, completing required abuse risk management training, following procedures for high-risk activities and supervision, reporting suspicious or inappropriate behaviors and policy violations, and adhering to mandated abuse reporting requirements.
• Perform Other Duties as Assigned.
  
  

Required Certifications

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Sufficient physical strength and agility to carry out essential duties, including emergency response.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device.
• The employee frequently is required to sit/stand and reach, and must be able to move around the work environment.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to thirty (30) pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust.
  
  

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.