Gabrielle Riley, HRM recreation department active living co-ordinator, crouches beside her bicycle in Halifax last week. Her job includes working with various groups to create opportunities to promote physical activity and active living. (PETER PARSONS / Staff)

GABRIELLE RILEY of Halifax has always been into athletics and recreation. She has also always loved to organize and co-ordinate.

This mix of skills comes together wonderfully in her capacity as a promoter of active living with Halifax Regional Municipality.

"When I was in junior high, I organized a potluck and tent festival in my parents' backyard," she said from her latest post with the city at the Findlay Centre in Dartmouth.

A love of athletics and recreation is good for everybody and Ms. Riley said she has personally followed the active living philosophy for many years, by bicycling to work or even by getting off the bus before her stop so she could walk.

With her job she works with various groups to create opportunities to promote physical activity and active living.

"Going to the gym is good, but it.s more important to have activity built into your day-to-day routine," she said.

Working in a co-ordinating capacity requires a passion for the business of organizing, she said.

As a student at the old Halifax West High School and at Acadia University (recreation management), Ms. Riley participated in athletics and always seemed to have a hand in the organizational side of things as well.

For example, she was a member and also a manager of her cross-country team at Acadia and said she has never been shy about taking the initiative in other parts of her life to make things happen.

She suggested people seriously considering a career as a recreation or sport organizer start early by getting involved and organizing events through their schools and communities.

Want to know more about this career path? Read on.

NATURE OF THE WORK
People in these occupations administer, supervise and participate in recreation programs and sports.

Athletes participate in competitive sports events on an amateur or professional basis. Coaches prepare and train individual athletes or teams for competitive events. Referees observe and enforce rules and regulations governing sporting events, athletic games and sports competitions.

Sport and recreation administrators and programmers administer, deliver and design programs. They must arrange advertising, negotiate contracts and sponsorships with businesses, develop and manage programs and sports facilities, and organize participation in sports events.

SKILLS
To work in this field, you should be determined, patient and self-confident. You must be able to organize and plan activities as well as motivate and encourage others to perform at their best. Leadership and decision-making skills may be needed in coaching and training. Both verbal and written communication skills are essential for teaching and instructing. Good physical stamina and an interest in sports and physical fitness are also advised.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
To become an athlete, you must demonstrate your ability in a particular sport. You are required to undergo a rigorous training program, generally under the supervision of a coach. You may also be required to apply for certification with a particular sports federation. Coaches for individual and team sports may also be required to complete the National Coaching Certification Program.

Sports officials are required to obtain certification by and registration with a sport governing agency or commission.

Program leaders need a high school diploma as well as a college diploma in recreation or physical education, or extensive experience in a sports or recreational program.

Certification is required for certain areas of recreation instructing, such as swimming or ski instructing. To work in an administrative capacity in these occupations, you would need a bachelor.s degree in recreation administration, sport administration or physical education, combined with some work experience in a related field.

WORK PROSPECTS
The availability of federal and provincial government funding for sports organizations influences employment levels for the occupations in this group, and funding for athletes and coaches tends to vary according to the sport. As many jobs in these occupations are seasonal and often filled by students, the average age of this workforce tends to be young and turnover for this occupational group is quite high. There is great demand for sports officials and coaches. However, many of these jobs involve few hours and low pay and are not a primary source of income. For program leaders and instructors in recreation and sport, employment opportunities are good for students in the summer months. Full-time opportunities for graduates may be found in areas such as education and year-round fitness and recreation facilities.

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