How to Partner with Schools Without Getting Burned
School partnerships can 10x your enrollment—or drain your profit to zero. Here's the negotiation framework and red flags that separate good deals from disasters.
School partnerships are the holy grail of youth sports marketing.
When They Work
- • Zero customer acquisition cost
- • 50-200 kids signed up in 48 hours
- • Built-in credibility (parents trust the school)
- • Sustainable pipeline season after season
When They Don't
- • Paying 30-50% of revenue to the school
- • School doesn't promote (you're just renting)
- • Parents expect school pricing ($50/season)
- • Twice the work for half the profit
I've done 30+ school partnerships over the past decade. Some made me $50k in a single season. Others lost me money and taught expensive lessons.
Here's the framework for structuring school deals that actually work—and the red flags that mean you should walk away.
Why Schools Want to Partner (And What They Actually Care About)
Schools don't care about your business. They care about their families and their reputation.
What Schools Actually Want
- Convenience for parents (on-site, after school)
- Zero liability (you carry insurance)
- Revenue (if they can get it without work)
- Good experience (so parents don't complain)
What Schools DON'T Want
- • Complicated logistics
- • Parent complaints
- • Anything that feels like a sales pitch
- • Programs that flop and make them look bad
If you come in talking about your program and your curriculum, you've already lost.
The 3 Types of School Partnership Models
There are basically 3 ways to structure a school deal. Each has different economics and different risk profiles.
Model 1: Facility Rental (Low Risk, Low Upside)
How It Works: You rent the gym/field for $X/hour. You handle all marketing, registration, and operations. School gets rental fee, you keep the rest.
Example Economics:
- • 60 kids × $200/season = $12,000 revenue
- • 8 weeks, 1 hour/week × $75/hr = $600 facility cost
- • Facility cost: 5% of revenue
Pros:
- • Lowest cost structure
- • You keep most of profit
- • Clear, simple agreement
Cons:
- • School won't promote it
- • No built-in enrollment
- • You still pay rent if empty
When This Works: You already have a strong brand/following, or you're testing a new market.
Model 2: Revenue Share (Medium Risk, Medium Upside)
How It Works: School promotes program to families (email, flyers, newsletter). You run the program. School gets 20-40% of revenue.
Example Economics:
- • 100 kids × $200/season = $20,000 revenue
- • School gets 30% = $6,000
- • School cost: 30% of revenue
Pros:
- • School actively promotes
- • Higher enrollment
- • Predictable cost structure
Cons:
- • Revenue share eats profit
- • You're still doing all work
- • Bad if school doesn't promote
When This Works: School has 300+ families and will actively market. You're new and need credibility.
Model 3: Flat Fee Partnership (Highest Risk, Highest Upside)
How It Works: School gets a flat fee (e.g., $2,000-5,000/season). You keep all revenue above that. School promotes program.
Example Economics:
- • 120 kids × $200/season = $24,000 revenue
- • School gets flat $3,000
- • School cost: 12.5% of revenue (if you hit 120 kids)
Pros:
- • Unlimited upside
- • School motivated to promote
- • Predictable fixed cost
Cons:
- • High risk if program doesn't fill
- • School may not promote well
- • Requires confidence in market
When This Works: You've tested the market. School has 400+ families. You want to maximize profit.
The Negotiation Framework
Most operators go into school partnerships with zero negotiation strategy. They take whatever the school offers. Bad idea. Schools respect operators who know what they want.
What You're Offering (Your Value)
- • Convenience: On-site program, no driving across town
- • Quality: Professional coaches, structured curriculum
- • Insurance: $1M liability + participant accident coverage
- • Logistics: You handle registration, payment, communication
- • Revenue: School makes money with zero work
What You're Asking For
Tier 1 (Must-Haves):
- • Use of facilities (gym, field, parking)
- • 3-5 promotional emails to school families
- • Flyer in backpack mail or newsletter
- • Clear insurance/liability agreement
Tier 2 (Nice-to-Haves):
- • Exclusivity (you're the only provider)
- • Lower revenue share (20-25% vs 30-40%)
- • Multi-season commitment
Tier 3 (Negotiable):
- • Flat fee vs revenue share
- • Free facility rental (if getting revenue share)
- • Co-branded marketing
The Magic Question
"What would it take for this to be a home run for you?"
Most schools will tell you exactly what they care about. Once you know their real goal, you can structure the deal to hit it.
The Red Flags (When to Walk Away)
Not all school partnerships are worth it. Here are the red flags that mean you should pass:
🚩 Red Flag #1: School Asks for 50%+ Revenue Share
50% revenue share + facility costs + coach costs = you're working for free. Unless you're getting 200+ kids, the economics don't work.
🚩 Red Flag #2: School Won't Put Anything in Writing
Verbal agreements fall apart when the principal changes. You need a clear contract: revenue split, promotion commitment, insurance, term length.
🚩 Red Flag #3: School Expects You to Pay Their Insurance
You should carry your own GL + participant accident. Adding school as "additional insured" is normal ($0-50 extra). Paying their insurance costs → walk away.
🚩 Red Flag #4: School Won't Promote (But Wants Revenue Share)
You're paying them for access to families, but they're not actually promoting. If they won't commit to 3+ touchpoints, negotiate down to facility rental only.
🚩 Red Flag #5: Principal/Admin Changes Every Year
Every new admin = renegotiating the deal. Build relationships with multiple people and lock in multi-year agreements if possible.
What Schools Actually Care About (The Insider View)
I've pitched 50+ schools. Here's what actually moves the needle:
1. Convenience for Parents
Program on-site, after school or weekend, simple registration.
How to Pitch It:
"Parents love that their kids can stay after school for soccer—no extra drop-off, no driving across town. We handle registration online in 2 minutes."
2. Zero Hassle for Administration
You handle logistics, school doesn't get parent complaints, you have insurance.
How to Pitch It:
"We take care of everything—registration, coaching, insurance, communication. The school just promotes it and collects the revenue share. Zero work for you."
3. Revenue with No Risk
School makes money without running the program themselves.
How to Pitch It:
"This program can generate $5k-10k/season for your PTA—with zero work from your staff. We run it, you get a check."
4. Good Experience (No Complaints)
Program is well-run, kids and parents are happy, no safety issues.
How to Pitch It:
"We've run programs at 20+ schools. Our coaches are background-checked, CPR-certified, and trained in our curriculum. Parents love it."
Case Study: A Deal That Worked (And One That Didn't)
✓ The Good Deal: Suburban Elementary, 450 Families
Structure:
- • 25% revenue share
- • School sent 4 emails to families
- • 8-week soccer program, $225/kid
- • We provided insurance, coaching, equipment
| Kids Enrolled | 92 (20% conversion) |
| Revenue | $20,700 |
| School's Cut (25%) | -$5,175 |
| Coach Costs (30%) | -$6,210 |
| Profit (8 weeks) | $9,315 |
Why It Worked:
- • School had engaged families (high email open rates)
- • Principal promoted it personally (credibility boost)
- • Program was on-site (low friction for parents)
- • 60% of families signed up for next session
✗ The Bad Deal: Urban Charter School, 300 Families
Structure:
- • 40% revenue share
- • School sent 2 emails (buried in newsletters)
- • 8-week basketball program, $200/kid
- • We provided everything
| Kids Enrolled | 22 (7% conversion) |
| Revenue | $4,400 |
| School's Cut (40%) | -$1,760 |
| Coach Costs (35%) | -$1,540 |
| Profit (8 weeks) | $1,100 |
Why It Failed:
- • School didn't actively promote (just forwarded our email)
- • Families didn't trust us (no personal endorsement)
- • Price too high for demographic
- • Agreed to 40% without confirming promotion plan
Lesson: Always confirm how the school will promote before agreeing to revenue share.
The School Partnership Checklist
Before you sign any school deal, check these boxes:
Pre-Negotiation:
- ☐ School has 200+ families (minimum viable audience)
- ☐ School admin is responsive and engaged
- ☐ You've confirmed school will actively promote (not just "allow" you)
Deal Terms:
- ☐ Revenue share ≤30% OR flat fee that works at 50% capacity
- ☐ School commits to 3+ promotional touchpoints
- ☐ Clear facility access terms (days, times, parking)
- ☐ Insurance/liability agreement in writing
Operations:
- ☐ You have $1M GL + participant accident insurance
- ☐ School added as "additional insured" on policy
- ☐ Registration system set up (online, mobile-friendly)
- ☐ Coaches hired and background-checked
Post-Season:
- ☐ Survey families (what worked, what didn't)
- ☐ Share results with school (e.g., "92 families, 4.8/5 rating")
- ☐ Renegotiate or renew for next season
The Bottom Line
School partnerships can 10x your enrollment—or drain your profit to zero.
The difference:
- • Negotiate from value, not desperation
- • Understand what schools actually care about
- • Get clear commitments in writing
- • Walk away from bad deals
The best operators do 3-5 school partnerships that generate 60-70% of their revenue—at near-zero customer acquisition cost.
School partnerships aren't magic. They're just negotiations where both parties win—if you know what you're doing.
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