Des Plaines Park District logo
Des Plaines Park District
Des Plaines, Illinois

Sports X-plosion Counselor

CounselorNo weekendsSeasonal

Listed compensation

Salary Range: $15.00 /hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 7mo ago

Job Description

Job DetailsPosition Type: SeasonalSalary Range: $15.00 - $15.00 HourlyABOUT US: The Des Plaines Park District, established in 1919, features more than 50 parks and facilities.

As an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency, we service a culturally diverse and growing community with hundreds of affordable recreational and educational programs, classes, and events for kids, teens, adults, and families each season. "Enriching Lives Everyday" is our vision and our constant goal.

JOB IDENTIFICATION Job Title: Sports Camp Counselor Grade: II FLSA: Non-Exempt Department: Recreation SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS Reports to: Camp Director, Assistant director Supervises: n/a BASIC FUNCTION Serve as primary adult responsible for campers and assist the Director in implementing the programing, physical/recreational activities including, chaperoning field trips and safety.

Working, schedule is M-F, between the hours of 7:30-6P at Prairie Lakes Community Center. Camps run for a 10-week period. ESSENTIAL DUTIES Responsible for the safety, education, and recreational programming for the camp participants. Attend all preseason training sessions and staff meetings.

Maintaining a positive and energetic attitude throughout the day. Creating and implementing program activities for participants. Must supervise campers closely at all time during camp and on field trips. Work cooperatively as a team member with all other staff members.

Take proper care of all camp equipment and supplies. Assist with the end of day cleanup. Submit routine paperwork such as Accident/Incident Reports, Time off Request Forms, and others as they come due. Enforce camp rules.

Any other related duties OTHER DUTIES Administer First Aid, when required Adhere to all safety policies and procedures as outlined in the Employee Manual and Crisis Manual. Direct participants in the event of an emergency, such as fire, severe weather.

Communicate with Athletic Supervisors regarding any equipment needing repair or replacement. Attend related training as requested. Additional duties as assigned. POSITION QUALIFICATIONS Education: Some High School Experience: At least 16 years of age or older.

Experience working with children desired Certifications: CPR and First Aid Certification, classes available through Park District Valid Illinois Driver’s License PERKS & BENEFITS: SEASONAL STAFF All recreational facilities at no charge during active employment, discounts for dependents A free individual outdoor pool pass to three aquatic facilities, or family pass at 50% discount 3 months free of a fitness center and/or indoor aquatic center pass 50% discount on general programs at resident rates Contractual classes/programs at a discounted rate $3.00 off resident daily fees for golf facilities (including mini golf) Des Plaines Park District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Des Plaines Park District ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability.

If you need any special accommodations, please contact our HR Coordinator, Lester Caramba, at the Park District at 847-391-5099 or email at lester.caramba@dpparks.org so that we may make the necessary arrangements for you.

Qualifications

Key Responsibilities

The counselor serves as the primary adult responsible for campers, assisting the Director in implementing programming, physical activities, chaperoning field trips, and ensuring safety. Essential duties include maintaining a positive attitude, creating and implementing program activities, closely supervising campers, and enforcing camp rules.

Requirements

Candidates must be at least 16 years of age, with some high school education desired, and experience working with children is preferred. Required certifications include CPR and First Aid, along with a valid Illinois Driver’s License.

Key Skills

Program ImplementationSupervisionTeamworkEquipment CarePaperwork SubmissionRule EnforcementFirst Aid AdministrationEmergency DirectionCommunication

Youth Recreation — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 26% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$28k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $28k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Sports X-plosion Counselor at Des Plaines Park District a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Counseling — ranked against 13,755 active Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Counselor Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 28 employers

8
<$60k
6
$60k-70k
9
$70k-80k
5
$80k-90k
7
$90k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 28 employers

401k / retirement match
82%
Sign-on bonus
45%
CME allowance
33%
Loan repayment
27%
PSLF eligible
21%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$82k-$109k
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$84k-$107k
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+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.4
Better work-life than 60% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,755 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends

Living in Des Plaines

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$396k
Typical market rent
$2,058/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Des Plaines Park District logo

About Des Plaines Park District

Recreational Facilities
Des Plaines, Illinois
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Free recreational facilities during active employment
Discounts for dependents
Free individual outdoor pool pass
3 months free fitness center or indoor aquatic center pass
50% discount on general programs
Discounted golf fees