How Schools Can Earn Extra Income by Opening Sports Facilities After Hours

It costs a lot of money for the schools to have playgrounds, basketball courts, football turfs, swimming pools, and indoor sport halls. But many of these facilities are idle after class, on the weekends and during school vacations. Time, when properly utilized can be an additional source of income for schools without disrupting the existing school program.

For those school owners and administrators with existing facilities who are looking to tap into a new revenue stream school sports facilities may be an interesting option. Schools can provide sport development opportunities for the community by allowing them access to the school’s facilities after hours, whether through local sports academies, coaches, clubs or community members, thus providing a mechanism for additional income and participation in sport.

The concept is straightforward – when students aren’t using a facility, make the suitable facility available, and school activities are the first priority. This Guide will help schools to generate income from the use of their school grounds, to establish “School Sports Academy” partnerships, to handle bookings and to develop a longer-term sports programme in the after hours.

What Does Opening School Sports Facilities After Hours Mean?

After School Sports facilities will permit uses of selected sports facilities once the school day has ended. These consumers could be sporting academies, coaches who aren’t affiliated with a club, local clubs, corporate teams, or a player seeking a place to play.

A school with little football activity after the school day, for instance, with a football turf, can allow a local football club to book the space after work for evening training. Other potential ways the school could support families are Weekend Cricket sessions and badminton court bookings, Basketball sessions, and Sport Camps over school holidays.

The school will require a fee to be paid for the use of the space and has rules regarding the time, safety, supervision and upkeep of the use of the space. This provides a possible second revenue stream from existing infrastructure installed in the school.

Justification for the use of this model

A number of schools have the minimum facilities necessary for sports activities. Instead of building more ground for more users, they might try to change the grounds over to a different suitable hour for each use after.

The advantages that could apply are:

• The use of additional income from playgrounds and sports courts
• Implements greater usage of current sports facilities
• Improved links with local coaches and academies
• More opportunities for children and adults to participate in sports
• Access to funding for maintaining and upgrading the facilities in the future
• Strengthened ties to the community

But this model only applies when the school maintains good control of access, scheduling, health and safety and costs. Rental income should not be used to detract from the goals of the school, the care and education of the students or the safety and security of the campus.

How can schools generate revenue from sports facilities?

However, schools don’t need to rely on a single rental proposition. They have to integrate a few alternatives depending on the services they possess, needs in their community and time they have to dedicate to use the services outside.

1. Find Football Turfs and Playgrounds for Rent

Football plays can bring in football academies, neighbourhood teams, corporate groups and recreational players to the football fields or outdoor grounds. Organisations can hire out an hour at a time or book it on a regular weekly basis, or a package of hours.

A school equipped with an appropriate football surface, for instance, could provide their evenings on the field for a coaching academy and after school on the weekend for recreational teams. The school may charge varying amounts based on the length of the booking, the time of booking and booking type.

If looking for a place to rent the base, inspect the integrity of the playing field, lighting, drainage, fencing, changing area etc Rental agreement to set out to whom are the responsibilities for supervision, equipment, cleaning and damage protection.

2. Strong relationships with Sports Academies and Coaches

A school sports academy partnership enables a school to offer students training from a sports coaching service that is provided by someone other than themselves. The academy involves visiting coaches, training programmes and pupils and the school brings the suitable facilities.

The school might pay a fixed monthly rental profit, be provided a portion of the academy’s revenue or be billed for a combination of these options. The fixed rental allows people to discern more predictable income, the revenue-sharing model can offer a better return to the individual if enrolment expands.

Potential partners include:

• Football academies
• Cricket coaching centres
• Academy Programs: Badminton/Basketball
• Tennis and pickleball coaches
• Training is designed for athletics and fitness trainers
• If children cannot swim, swimming coaches must be available (with appropriate pool if available)

Before entering into any commitment, schools should review the qualifications, experience, safeguarding plan, insurance and references of the partner. A reliable programme can be developed and a school’s reputation is protected by a good partner, who can also provide assistance and support as and when required.

3. Provide bookings for Weekend Sports Grounds

A weekend job can offer extra income opportunities, as school is typically not in session. Depending on the school’s calendar schedule, the school may provide certain hours of the day, either in the morning or afternoon or at night, for these schools to use as available.

Sport Clubs, amateur games, community groups and companies organising friendly games or recreation activities are some potential customers. The school offers hourly and/or multiple-use bookings.

Keep in mind that holiday weekends are for activities like games and sports and shouldn’t be accepted as a regular weekend. Time should be set aside in schools for exams, school events, tournaments, maintenance, and other school activities. A sum book calendar will help avoid conflicts.

4. Organise Holiday Sports Camps

School vacations can provide an opportunity for organised sport programmes. Summer camps, football training clinics, cricket training, basketball training, and multi-sports training sessions for children are among the activities offered in which schools could collaborate with coaches.

The school may seek a lump sum for the facility, or share in the income from the programme. Coaching partner is responsible for training; access hours, safety requirements and areas to be accessed are set by the school.

Holiday camps can be used for several days or weeks at a time and pocket a profit that is more substantial than nightly rentals. Procedures for organizing supervision, emergency procedures, participant registration and parental consent must, however, be in place.

5. Rent Indoor Sports Halls and Courts

For schools that have indoor spaces such as a hall, badminton court, multi-purpose room or covered sports area, the school may rent units for appropriate activities. These can range from coaching badminton, table tennis, basketball practice, fitness sessions, selected recreational programmes.

With the rain or extreme heat that can interfere with outdoor activities it will be possible to use the indoor facilities. Schools should however make sure that the flooring, lighting, ventilation, equipment and clearance are appropriate for the sport.

This agreement should include; what equipment users have access to, and who is responsible for taking back equipment to storage. It should also help to ensure that activities do not cause damage to the floor or pose any safety concerns.

6. Allow Corporate and Community Sports Activities

A number of companies arrange a sports session, friendly game and employee fitness activity outside of the normal working time. Planned activities may be accommodated in rented school space for schools that have appropriate facilities.

Regular access to courts and playgrounds also may be needed for community sports clubs, and residential groups. Schools can establish booking packages for these types of users, with the understanding that they observe school policy and won’t bother neighbours.

This could be a good choice in low demand zones where public use of sports fields is restricted. However, further research should be undertaken locally instead of it being assumed that there will be paying users in every time slot scheduled.

How much income does a school make from the use of sport facilities?

The level a school may earn is based on the type of facility, the demand in the locality, the rental rates, hours available and expenses of running the facility. In a cluttered urban area, a football field might be booked more compared to a park that isn’t as busy and has fewer people seeking out a sports space that’s available to be paid for.

Schools should not assume that all available times will be fully booked but adopt a simple calculation of the income based on these realistic booking targets.

3: Example of Monthly School Ground Rental Income

Imagine that a school is having the football pitch rented out for use after school. The school could approximate revenues for its month using the following example:

Particulars	Example estimate
Inclusive bills to be paid on a rental basis per hour	₹1500
Average bookings per day	3 hours
Average weekly work hours	42
Rental costs for the entire month	₹108000
Estimated Operating Expenses for a month	₹35000
Estimated amount remaining	₹73,000

 

The following is a sample calculation only, not representative of or guaranteed against the range of market rates. Rental rates, bookings and costs will be dependent on the facility and location.

In this case the school generates income of ₹1.08 lakhs every month on renting. These costs assume that the operation is running smoothly. If these items were not incurred, then there would be ₹73,000 on the books after these operating costs.

There should also be considerations for times of lower demand for schools to account for, such as examination weeks, monsoons, and school holidays. A more conservative envisagement–in contrast to a business plan that projects 365 days of bookings–is more useful.

The contract: Fixed Rental or Revenue Sharing – which is the better?

There are two broad choices for schools in collaborating with an external sports provider.

Model	How it works	Best suited for
Fixed rental	The academy pays a fixed rent for the use of the academy	Schools that want to be given predictable income
Revenue sharing	The school receives an agreed percentage of revenue collected	Schools willing to share demand-related risk
Hybrid model	The provider pays a minimum rental plus an agreed share of additional revenue	Schools and partners who wish for a more balanced approach

Fixed rentals may be simpler to budget, especially since they are set beforehand. While there may be more upside in revenue sharing, schools need to ensure bookings, discounts, refunds, and collections are recorded.

Creating a time-bound form of an agreement can benefit a new partnership by bringing the two sides together to learn just how much the other demands prior to signing a long-term relationship.

How to utilize school grounds for after hours without disrupting classes

With the exception of a commitment to the main purpose of a school – education – extra income is helpful only if it’s provided in a way that does not jeopardize that commitment. An after-hours programme should be independent of regular school activities and be well-managed.

1. Determine and establish Separate Access and Entry Rules

In within-townships areas, outside users are encouraged to enter by a specific and separate entrances, which have no direct access to classroom or offices or laboratories and other restricted access areas.

School to identify facilities available for hire and which areas should be kept unusable. Highly visible signage, log-in, access controls and supervised entry will help ensure security.

2. Set Fixed Operating Hours

Select the available rental slots in relation to school dismissals, clean-ups, staff schedule, and preparation schedules the following day. The school may provide, for instance, certain weekday evening and longer weekend hours.

Try not to guarantee your participation in exams, school events, annual sports days, etc. The policy of bookings/prioritising space with regards to school’s priority needs should be explained.

3. Ensure the safety of students and outside users

Schools will set up safeguarding arrangements for children attending out of school coaching sessions. These should have in place the proper coach verification, supervision, emergency contacts, participant registration and in place a clear procedure for reporting concerns.

The organisation should also confirm that the school will provide supervision during each session. Written responsibilities minimise confusion in the event of an incident.

4. Keep maintenance under control

Regular use in the building exterior may be a problem for artificial turf, court floors, nets, lights, washrooms, etc. Before and after bookings, ensure that schools check whether there is damage to facilities, and record any damage.

The agreement should clarify who is responsible for damages stemming from the hire vessel, means to be used for cleaning, and when to arrange for maintenance closures. Some of the rent money can be allocated towards planned improvements and repairs.

Common challenges and ways to address them at school

After hours use of Sports Facilities calls for planning. Inspecting schools can minimise risk of issues by pré approaching potential issues before accepting bookings.

Challenge	Practical solution
Low demand	Start with trial period and make slots available locally
High staffing costs	Use of a designated facility manager or reliable operating partner
Security concerns	Access restrictions and visitor logs will be in place to ensure security
Damage to equipment	Inspect equipment and establish responsibility in agreement
Conflicting schedules	Share the calendar and schedule a break from school events
Noise complaints	Set appropriate noise times and instil noise control rules
Uncertain revenue	Monitor and reassess monthly bookings and expenses

Schools should never take for granted that renting money is necessarily profit. The amount remaining could diminish due to additional staffing, lighting, cleaning, security, utilities, insurance and general repairs.

The ambition should be to develop a programme that is financially sustainable by the school and does not stall the financial path of the school, if successful.

Getting Started in the Schools

It is not necessary to open up the full campus of a school at once. Setting up with one okay facility is a less daunting approach to assess demand and determine operational needs.

To start a programme:

1. Conduct existing facilities audit: Recognize existing facilities and grounds, courts, halls, etc. unused after school hours.
2. Review permissions: Explore ownership/accreditation, trust conditions, relevant restrictions and rules that may apply to commercial/ community use.
3. Talk with local academies, coaches, sports clubs and community groups in order to undertake local demand research 
4. Establish a rental agreement: Discuss fixed rentals, revenue share and managed partnerships.
5. Price and Schedule: Decide on the price and availability, cancelation rules, and vacation closures.
6. Creating written agreements: Specify access terms, protective measures, insurance, pay-back, liability and termination provisions.
7. Run a pilot programme: have a set number of hours – and assess results at a defined (agreed) time.

Monitor and evaluate performance: Running expenses, issues and maintenance, bookings, revenues. It is also worth taking into account the feasibility for schools to manage the programme. An experienced external operator could accept bookings, enquiries, staffing and daily facility management, if the staff have limited duties, under an agreed arrangement.

Practical guidance is provided in the Use Our School resource produced by Sport England on how to plan, budget and provide community access to school facilities. Although the guidance is for England, there are some principles which schools in other countries can draw on, if they wish, to help them plan.

FAQs

Q1. Does it make sense to make schools allowed to bring in revenue from their sporting facilities after school hours?

Ans. Yes. Allocated suitable sports facilities in school may provide additional income by leasing the sports facilities to coaching academies, clubs, local teams etc. for appropriate usage. The school needs to ensure compliance with any rules that may be applicable, ownership, permissions and the operating costs first.

Q2. How can a school generate school ground rental income?

Ans. A school can rent space on an hourly basis, book space on a regular basis, book space in the after-school hours, offer holiday sports programmes, or work in partnership with a sports academy. This will depend upon local demand, provision of infrastructure and management systems (such as external access management) within the school.

Q3. What types of schools can be hired out?

Ans. The facilities may be football turfs, basketball court, badminton court, cricket practice net, swimming pool, indoor sports hall, multipurpose ground etc.  All facilities should be inspected for conditions safety, condition, permitted use and suitability for this activity.

Q5. What would lo be, the safe alternative usage of school grounds after school hours?

Ans. Designated entry points, managing access to non-hire areas, maintaining records of visitors, checking visitors’ credentials and setting up emergency procedures are all measures that a school should put in place. Incident responsibilities, supervision, safeguarding, insurance and maintenance to be undertaken to be agreed and documented in writing.

Conclusion

After-hour sports operation provides a great addition for schools to use existing facilities and revenue. Local academies, sports clubs and community groups can be provided with football turfs, basketball courts, halls, and other appropriate places when academic classes are not in session.

But of course, to make school sports facilities effective and generate revenue has to do more than demand rent payment. Schools require an operating plan, pricing that is reasonable, partners that will be available and reliable, good security and maintenance that is regular. They are also responsible for ensuring that activities away from school do not negatively impact on learning or student welfare. 

A phased process with progressive steps, need gauging and analysing the actual cost can assist the school to develop a robust programme. Inappropriate use of such facilities can result in them being underutilised or wasted, but if used sensibly they can provide additional financial resources for many of the area’s school sports while also contributing to a Citizen’s sport participation.