To become a recreation aide, you will likely need some experience organizing sports or arts activities with the age group that the position services. The position is often considered entry-level, so there are typically few hard credentials needed to be considered for the job. Employment as a recreation aide is a popular first job for high school students and college students in their first few years of study. In other contexts, the position is often populated with teachers and coaches who work in after-school and summer programs as a second job.
Recreation aides are hired by government agencies, nonprofits, schools and other businesses and organizations that provide extracurricular sports and arts programs to children and adults. Job responsibilities usually include organizing activities, maintaining and monitoring recreational equipment, arranging special events and supervising the use of the facilities. The position can be permanent or a seasonal, depending on whether the recreational activity operates only in the summer, for instance, or year-round.
Employers will typically look for energetic candidates who have some experience with recreational programs. That experience can be professional or ad hoc. For example, a high school student who has played team sports in school can be a viable candidate for the job, even without prior paid experience in recreational programming. Likewise, a student with a large family and multiple siblings could make a case for the job by pointing to experience entertaining younger brothers and sisters. Volunteer work can also serve as a substitute for paid experience.
Basically, to become a recreation aide, you will have to show you can do the job. This demonstration of competency should relate to the specific type of recreational job that you are considering. For example, if you are applying for a recreational aide position at a public pool, you will need to know how to swim. Likewise, if a summer camp is your target, you will need skills in many different types of activity programs.
Any special knowledge that you can obtain that relates to recreation will help your candidacy. For example, knowing first aid and basic rescue techniques such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) may be beneficial. Past experience as an umpire for an official little league program is the type of special experience that can help. Likewise, if you spent time teaching children how to swim and are familiar with some of the best practices, the knowledge will certainly help you become a recreation aide.
In certain contexts, recreation aides are hired as permanent staff. For example, recreation centers, resorts, private clubs and gyms hire experienced adults to operate sports and arts programs. To become a recreation aide in these settings, you will typically need specific experience in the recreational activity you will be moderating. Some places will also require a bachelor's degree and some formal education in sports, arts, fitness or health.