SportsCool Durham
SportsCool is a UK children's sports coaching franchise operating 28 locations across 25+ areas, delivering multi-sport, dance, and yoga programs in primary schools through independent franchisees serving exclusive territories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersDurham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What SportsCool Durham does
SportsCool is a UK-based children's sports coaching franchise founded in 2008 by Andy Preston, Lee Lysons, and Matt Parker, headquartered in Durham. The company delivers sports, dance, and yoga coaching programs to primary schools through a franchise network that has expanded to 28 locations across 25+ UK areas, with each franchisee granted an exclusive territory covering up to 150+ schools. Its core product is a multi-sport in-school coaching curriculum, supplemented by a Soccer Cubs sub-brand targeting children aged 3-6, holiday clubs (including participation in the government-funded HAF programme), birthday parties, and development centres.
The underlying delivery model is human-coach intensive, supported by standardized planning and assessment tools rather than proprietary technology platforms. SportsCool has built ecosystem partnerships with Highfield Learning (training, 2025-06), Mini Me Yoga, and British Dodgeball to broaden its curriculum offering and franchisee support infrastructure.
The business model operates on multiple revenue streams: an initial franchise fee of £24,995+VAT per franchisee, recurring royalties or service fees (undisclosed), direct school program contracts, government-funded holiday activity delivery via HAF, consumer-facing birthday parties, and development centre programming. Franchisees are projected to earn £44,000+ in Year 1, indicating a unit-level economics profile suitable for further franchise recruitment. HQ-level staffing is small (1-10 employees), consistent with a lean franchisor structure focused on franchisee enablement rather than direct service delivery.
SportsCool Durham firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SportsCool Durham
- Legal name
- SportsCool
- Website
- https://sportscool.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SportsCool is a UK children's sports coaching franchise operating 28 locations across 25+ areas, delivering multi-sport, dance, and yoga programs in primary schools through independent franchisees serving exclusive territories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SportsCool Durham industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Sports Coaching Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Team & Club Coaching (seasonal team coaching) (HSADAEAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB), Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)
Keywords
Where SportsCool Durham is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SportsCool Durham business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Franchise Fee: One-time franchise investment of £24,995 + VAT for exclusive territory with over 150 schools
- School Programs: PE lessons, before school clubs, after school clubs, and lunch clubs delivered in primary schools
- Holiday Clubs: Holiday camps generating significant revenue during school breaks
- Birthday Parties: Bespoke birthday party experiences with up to 30 children at set pricing
- Development Centres: Extra coaching sessions for children wanting additional development, particularly football for older children
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Franchise Investment Package |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
SportsCool Durham product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SportsCool Durham delivers multi-sport coaching for children through schools and community settings, including PE lessons, before/after-school clubs, lunch clubs, holiday clubs, birthday parties, and football development (Soccer Cubs). Operated under the parent SportsCool franchise brand, founded in 2008, which licenses its model to franchisees across 28 UK locations with each territory granted access to over 150 primary schools.
Product overview
SportsCool is a sports education franchise company that delivers coaching services for children across primary schools and community settings in the UK. The core offering consists of Schools services (PE lessons and curricular activities), Holiday Clubs, Birthday Parties, and Soccer Cubs (football programmes for ages 3-6). The company operates a franchise model where franchisees deliver multi-sport activities including athletics, archery, cricket, dance, dodgeball, fencing, football, gymnastics, and yoga across before-school, after-school, and lunch club settings. Training and support products include an 8-Week Induction Programme, Five Year Mentoring Programme, 3-Day Seminar with sports qualifications (Dodgeball, Yoga, Archery), and a Highfield Learning partnership for professional certifications. Multiple revenue streams are generated through school contracts, after-school clubs, holiday camps, birthday parties, and development centres.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Soccer Cubs: Football development centres for toddlers and children aged 3-6 years, featuring themed games designed to develop football skills, ability, and confidence.
Products and services
- SportsCool Schools Multi-sport coaching delivered in primary schools including PE lessons, curricular activities, before-school clubs, after-school clubs, and lunch clubs. Covers athletics, archery, cricket, dodgeball, football, fencing, gymnastics, handball, hockey, netball, street dancing, tag rugby, yoga, and more.
- Holiday Clubs Sports holiday clubs offering activities during school breaks for children aged 4+, featuring multi-sports including football, dodgeball, archery, fencing, dance, Nerf zone, and themed activities.
- Birthday Parties Bespoke birthday party experiences including Giant Inflatable Obstacle Course, Inflatable Dodgeball Court, Dance Party, Football Party, Dodgeball Party, and Multi-Sports Party options for up to 30 children with a trophy for the birthday child.
- Soccer Cubs Football development programme for toddlers and children aged 3-6 featuring themed games for fun, engagement, skill development, and confidence building; also includes development centres for children aged 7+ to develop teamwork and sportsmanship.
- SportsCool Franchise Franchise opportunity for individuals to own and operate a SportsCool sports coaching business in an exclusive territory of over 150 schools. Investment starts at £24,995 + VAT and includes training, equipment, business mentorship, marketing support, insurance, and access to school contracts.
Quantifiable outcome
- Expected first-year net profit of £44,000+ for franchisees
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SportsCool Durham
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SportsCool Durham technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
SportsCool Durham partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Highfield LearningcoreSportsCool partnered with Highfield Learning to provide franchisees with access to professional training courses including First Aid, Paediatric First Aid, and leadership/self-development programmes. This partnership enhances safety, quality, and personal growth for franchisees through industry-recognized certifications.
- Mini Me YogaminorSportsCool has ambassadors from Mini Me Yoga organization, integrating yoga and mindfulness into their sports programmes for children.
- National Governing Body of British DodgeballminorSportsCool has ambassadors from the National Governing body of British Dodgeball, providing recognised qualifications including Level 2 Dodgeball Qualification.
- JomaminorSportsCool is partnered with Spanish sportswear brand Joma for branded apparel and equipment.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SportsCool Durham competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Junior Stars: Multi-sport children's activity franchise operating in UK primary schools with after-school and holiday club programmes—an emerging franchise competitor in the same niche.
- PlaySport: UK provider of multi-sport and PE coaching in primary schools and after-school clubs, offering curricular and holiday programmes overlapping with SportsCool's core Schools and Holiday Clubs offerings.
- Totem Tennis: Children's sport coaching franchise delivering tennis and multi-sport in primary schools and nurseries; comparable on customer segment (primary schools/parents) and franchise distribution model.
Direct peers
- Sport4Kids: Multi-sport children's coaching provider covering PE lessons, after-school clubs, holiday camps and birthday parties in UK schools—overlapping across every SportsCool vertical.
- Premier Education: UK-based provider of school sports coaching, extra-curricular clubs, and holiday activity programmes, selling services direct to primary schools—directly overlapping with SportsCool's core Schools and Holiday Clubs offerings.
- Create Development: PE delivery and CPD provider to UK primary schools, offering curricular and extra-curricular sports coaching—a direct competitor for school-contract revenue.
- Fives Football: UK-based children's football coaching franchise delivering programmes in nurseries, schools, and party settings; directly comparable to SportsCool's Soccer Cubs product line and franchise GTM.
- Little Kickers: Established UK/International franchise delivering children's football coaching for ages 18 months to 7 years; competes in the same primary-school and parent-customer segment via a similar franchise distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- The Little Gym: International franchise operating children's activity centres with sport, gymnastics and movement programmes; overlaps on the children's activity franchise business model and parent customer base, though delivered in dedicated venues rather than schools.
Others
- HAF Programme Operators (Local Authority Partners): Local-authority Holiday Activity & Food programme operators that SportsCool partners with; structurally similar providers, often non-profit or council-affiliated, competing for the same holiday-club demand and funding.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SportsCool Durham social profiles
Digital presenceSportsCool Durham financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SportsCool Durham leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SportsCool Durham funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SportsCool Durham M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SportsCool Durham
What does SportsCool Durham do?
SportsCool Durham delivers multi-sport coaching for children through schools and community settings, including PE lessons, before/after-school clubs, lunch clubs, holiday clubs, birthday parties, and football development (Soccer Cubs). Operated under the parent SportsCool franchise brand, founded in 2008, which licenses its model to franchisees across 28 UK locations with each territory granted access to over 150 primary schools.
Is SportsCool Durham a public or private company?
SportsCool Durham is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SportsCool Durham founded?
SportsCool Durham was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SportsCool Durham based?
SportsCool Durham is headquartered in Durham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SportsCool Durham make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fee is the primary driver. The others are school Programs, holiday Clubs, birthday Parties and development Centres.
Who are SportsCool Durham's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Junior Stars, PlaySport and Totem Tennis. Direct peers are Sport4Kids, Premier Education, Create Development, Fives Football and Little Kickers. The Little Gym is listed as a broad incumbent. HAF Programme Operators (Local Authority Partners) is listed as an others.
Does SportsCool Durham have an API?
No public API is recorded for SportsCool Durham.
What industry is SportsCool Durham in?
SportsCool Durham's product category is Children's Sports Coaching Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAEAF, Team & Club Coaching (seasonal team coaching), with a secondary code of EDALAIAB, Club Sports Programs. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 7900.