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FACILITIES SHARING: A PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE GRASSROOTS SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Grassroots sports development cannot thrive without access to basic sporting facilities.
In Nigeria, and particularly in places like Ogun State where many grassroots football academies, schools and community clubs operate with limited resources, facilities sharing should become part of our sports development culture.
Not every school has a football pitch. Not every football academy can afford to acquire land and construct a standard playing field. Not every community has a recreational facility. Yet, in many communities, there are schools, private organisations, clubs and institutions that already have sporting facilities that are underutilised for significant periods.
This is where facilities sharing becomes important.
A school without a football field should be able to enter into a properly documented agreement with another school or organisation that has one. A grassroots football academy should be able to access a school field for training, development programmes or approved competitions—but under clear rules, supervision and regulation.
This is not about taking over school facilities.
It is about creating a system where available facilities can serve more people while protecting the interests of the facility owner.
FACILITIES SHARING MUST BE REGULATED
There are legitimate concerns from schools and facility owners.
There have been situations where sporting activities have resulted in damage to school property, littering, poor maintenance, unauthorised access or disruption of academic activities. These concerns should not be ignored.
But the solution should not always be to completely shut grassroots sports activities out.
The solution is regulation.
A proper facilities-sharing arrangement can clearly state:
- Approved days and training hours
- Maximum number of players
- Areas that can be accessed
- Areas that are restricted
- Responsibility for cleaning and maintenance
- Rules concerning school property
- Coaches and supervisors responsible for the players
- Compensation or facility-use fees where applicable
- Liability for damage
- Security and safeguarding requirements
- Procedures for reporting incidents
- Sanctions for organisations that violate the agreement
- Periodic review of the arrangement
With such a framework, both parties can benefit.
WE NEED TO CHANGE THE MINDSET
We must begin to see sporting facilities as part of a wider community development ecosystem.
A school can benefit from allowing a properly registered academy to use its field. The academy gets access to a playing facility, while the school may receive financial consideration, maintenance support, improved use of the facility or opportunities for sporting collaboration.
A private organisation with a sports facility can partner with schools and academies.
Football academies can collaborate with schools.
Schools can collaborate with other schools.
Clubs can collaborate with academies.
Local communities can develop shared-use arrangements.
Everybody does not need to own a football pitch. We need a system where those who have facilities can responsibly share them with those who need them.
GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL NEEDS SPACE TO BREATHE
For many grassroots football academies in Nigeria, especially those working with children and young people, school fields are among the most accessible places available for training.
If every available school field is closed to grassroots football activities, where are these young players expected to train?
Should we expect every young academy or community club to acquire land, obtain enormous funds and construct its own football facility before it is allowed to develop players?
That is not realistic for many grassroots organisations.
Grassroots football development requires access, opportunity and cooperation.
We cannot build a strong football development structure while simultaneously removing the limited spaces where young players can train.
PROTECT THE SCHOOLS — BUT DONT KILL THE OPPORTUNITY
The answer is not to choose between schools and grassroots football.
We can protect school facilities and still create opportunities for grassroots sports.
What is required is cooperation between school authorities, academy owners, coaches, clubs, community leaders, local governments and other stakeholders.
A school field can remain a school field while also serving as a properly regulated community sports facility outside approved school hours.
Imagine a system where an academy signs an agreement with a school:
«"You provide the facility. We respect your rules, protect your property, maintain the environment and accept responsibility for our activities."»
That is a partnership.
That is how sustainable grassroots sports development should work.
FACILITIES SHARING CAN ALSO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES
Beyond football, this model can support basketball, athletics, volleyball, tennis and other sports.
It can also create opportunities for schools and private organisations to generate modest revenue from facilities that would otherwise remain unused during certain periods.
More importantly, it can give children access to structured sporting activities within their communities.
The goal should not simply be to have beautiful sporting facilities.
The goal is to ensure that those facilities are accessible, properly managed and meaningfully utilised.
A CALL FOR A STRUCTURED FACILITIES-SHARING POLICY
I believe stakeholders in grassroots sports should begin conversations around a formal Facilities Sharing Framework involving schools, academies, clubs, private organisations and relevant government authorities.
Such a framework can establish minimum standards for facility use, agreements, safeguarding, maintenance, security, insurance/liability and accountability.
If properly implemented, facilities sharing can reduce conflict, protect school properties and, at the same time, provide grassroots athletes with the playing spaces they desperately need.
We should not close the doors.
We should regulate the access.
We should not stop the development of grassroots football because facilities are limited.
We should find smarter ways to share the facilities we already have.
The future of Nigerian football will not be built only in expensive stadiums and elite academies.
It will also be built on school fields, community pitches and modest training grounds where young boys and girls are given the opportunity to play, learn and dream.
Lets protect our facilities.
Lets regulate their use.
Lets share them responsibly.
And most importantly, lets give grassroots sports the space to grow.
Jonathan Opara
President/Director
Sparrow Champion Athletes Academy LTD
CEO
OCSPORTS VENTURES
General Secretary
Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council
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