Sports Resume Template & Guide: Coach, Player & More

Trying to get your sports career to take off, but nobody will play ball with you? If making it big on the pitch has been your dream your whole life, you’ve come to the right place.

You might think resumes are just for pencil pushers, but we call foul on that one. Big sponsorships, franchises, stadiums, all the limelight—it’s a different world, sure, but professionalism is still a necessity.

And a perfect sports resume might just give you the edge you need over your opponents.

This guide will show you:

• A sports resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a sports resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a sports resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a position in the sports industry to get any job you want.

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Looking to shoot for a different target? If so, you may be interested in these:

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• Resume Examples for Every Job

Sports Resume Template

Time to get your head in the game! This is how to write a perfect sports resume:

1. Prepare Your Sports Resume Using the Right Format

Careers in the sports industry range from players to coaches to analysts, so all will depend on the sport and the role you want to play. Generally, though, a good sports resume shows dedication, performance in and knowledge of the relevant sport & the ability to work in a team on and off the field.

And just as a fitness program requires a plan, your resume needs to have clear structure, too. Here’s how to format your resume to make it easy to read:

• Place a resume header at the top of your resume. 
• Go with the reverse-chronological resume format. It puts all of your biggest wins, both home and away, at the forefront.
• Your resume font should be sized at 11 or 12 for normal text and 13 or 14 for headings. Go with a classic typeface, like Arial or Calibri.
• Set the line spacing to 1 or 1.15.
• Perfect your resume layout by using a modern template and plenty of white space.
• Finally, send the resume as a PDF unless they specifically tell you to go with a different file format.

How many pages should a resume be, you may be wondering—

One page is ideal, two are fine if you have 15+ years of experience in sports and tons of relevant achievements. 

Read more: What Should a Resume Look Like? 

2. Use a Sports Resume Profile to Excite Them

The manager/administrator won’t give you the time.

They can’t afford to spare it.

In sports, you often need that dynamic, athletic power to explode in any direction, and blitz through opponents.

Here, you need to do the same with your resume profile. In a lightning-fast breakdown of about 3 or 4 sentences, you have to score the reader’s attention.

Write a resume summary if you’ve been around the block. Mention your best skills and numbered achievements using high-impact statements, like “led team to playoffs in 75% of tournaments.”

If you’re writing an entry-level job application, though, create an objective for your resume. The goal is to utilize your experience in the most appropriate way possible—like maybe you coached a Town Team baseball squad, or can run a mile in 4 minutes—and sprinkle in some competitive spirit and drive to succeed.

Read more: How to Make a Resume Stand Out

3. Attack Their Expectations with a Proper Work Experience Section

You know it, I know it, everybody knows it: the sports industry is brutal.

It attracts millions, but only lets a few succeed.

That’s because you need professional athletes who are at the top of their game to perform their very best. No one remembers the second place or the first loser. Only the winner.

To get in with their (extremely expensive, by the way) sports management and coaching staff, you need a work experience section that rivals Gretzky’s prime.

• For talking about work experience on your resume, follow the previously established reverse chronological order. This means listing your most recent or current role first and then working your way back through previous ones, in order.
• First, include the basic info like your job title, the name of the team, company, or organization, and how long you were with them.
• Now, for the meat: your descriptions should include up to 5 or 6 bullets detailing impressive achievements. Stick only to the most relevant experience to look even more impressive.
• Simulate the action you’d bring on the field by using action words and keeping the energy going.

Pro tip: One more way of upping the energy of your resume is to use numbers next to your accomplishments. “Improved regional results by 25%” sounds way better than “Coached team to play better”, doesn’t it?

4. Show off Your Sports Education

Sure, this one’s a bit more finicky. Sports players often don’t go past high school on their educational ladder—talent and determination are far more important than theoretical knowledge. But even if, as is often the case, formal education is not required for your chosen role—

An education section on your resume is still a must.

It’s the best form of injury prevention for when you’ll be kicking yourself you didn’t write one and they rejected you for it.

The breakdown here is easy, though, we won’t even need a telestrator:

5+ years doing what you’ve been doing (out of school)? List your highest level of schooling, the name and location of the school, and years of attendance. 

Otherwise, if you have less than 5 years of experience, include more information. Stuff like relevant coursework, extracurricular activities, school competitions, scholarships you received, et cetera.

Now, let’s sort out the final burning question—do you need to put high school on your resume?

Only if you haven’t completed any other degree higher than that.

Read more: Listing Your Degree on a Resume

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

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5. Prove Your Relevant Skills on a Sports Resume

What skills do you need on a resume for sports roles?

Well, that depends on so many factors I can’t even begin to list them all.

Instead, check out this general list:

Resume Skills for Sports Positions

• Dedication
• Communication Skills
• Perseverance
• Discipline
• Teamwork Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Resilience
• Taking & Giving Feedback
• Motivation
• Coaching
• Inspiring Others
• Physical Fitness
• Analytical Skills
• Decision-Making
• Working Under Pressure
• Time Management
• Attention to Detail

Only problem is, they’ll think you’re the entire FC Barcelona lineup condensed into one, applying for a baseball team if you come at them with a list that long. And they’re not likely to believe you.

You have to trim your list of skills. To know which ones should stick to warming the bench, look at the job posting, and see what resume keywords seem to pop up the most. Using those is the safest tactic to score extra points on your application.

Pick 5–10 of the most relevant skills that you have and that are mentioned in the job ad—those are going on your resume. 

Read more: What Skills Do Employers Look For? 

6. Throw in Additional Sections on Your Sports Resume

Whether your goal is to become the organization’s star player or their ace-in-the-hole analyst-coach hybrid, one thing your sports resume needs is that intangible X factor.

Think about it.

With competition being stacked all the way to the ceiling, if you don’t stand out, what’s going to make the recruiter do that double-take?

Not much.

Extra resume sections can help make you resemble Babe Ruth in 1919. Think about adding some of these champion-worthy sections:

• Certifications and licenses
• Awards and achievements
• Sports-related hobbies and interests
• Language skills, particularly useful for team games and foreign players
• Volunteer work

Pro tip: The point of extra sections isn’t to clump random stuff and call it a day, but rather to show yourself as a driven competitor who will stop at nothing to reach any goal. Try to think outside the box, and analyze what quality an extra addition really represents.

7. Write a Cover Letter for the Sports Position of Your Dreams

The facts don’t lie, a cover letter increases your chances of getting signed.

Without one, they won’t let you actually get on the field and start carrying your team on your back to victory.

This is how to write a great cover letter in a nutshell:

• Use the right cover letter format. 3 or 4 paragraphs in length, correct cover letter margins, all that jazz.
• In the cover letter introduction, shock them with an impressive achievement or two to score their attention.
• Then, speak to your experience, and stress how it would help the team achieve success.
• Finish your cover letter confidently by making a call to action, and offer to discuss your potential in person.

Read more: Modern Cover Letter Templates to Use in 2022

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s a gold-medal sports resume!

Thanks for the read. What did you think of this sample sports resume? Any thoughts and tips of your own to add? Give us a shout in the comments below!

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Sources

• https://www.scu.edu/media/leavey-school-of-business/graduates/pdf-x2f-docs/GBCM-Impactful-Resume-Tips-Sheet.pdf
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/athletes-and-sports-competitors.htm#tab-4