Want to find a way to encourage more sports in schools? There’s no denying the fact that physical education is extremely important for young people as they progress through their school years, but is your school doing enough to help?
At A&S Landscape, we aim to help schools & facilities make the most of their sports provisions all year round with our bespoke Covered MUGA™ canopies. Whether you’re looking to create a new sports area or simply want to shelter an existing one, discover ways that a Covered MUGA™ can encourage more sports and be the right solution for you.
Why you need a Covered MUGA™: Sports made easier
Our Covered MUGA™ (Multi-Use Games Area) is a great choice for schools that want to make the most of their sports facilities, no matter the weather. These structures remove the physical, seasonal, and logistical barriers that traditionally limit physical education and outdoor play.
Here’s why our Covered MUGAs™ are the perfect choice:
They eliminate weather-related cancellations: Without shelter, pitches, courts, and outdoor spaces are often unusable when there’s a downpour or bad weather. Having a covered structure protects the playing surface, ensuring that PE lessons and lunchtime play can still run as scheduled. You can even add heating and lighting to some of our designs.
Wide, obstruction-free design: Our MUGAs use wide-span steel frameworks with high-clearance apex roofs, eliminating the need for any central posts or low-hanging beams that might cause obstructions when playing sports. Pupils can happily enjoy playing basketball, netball, tennis, volleyball, and five-a-side football with ease.
Multi-sport visibility: Our MUGA canopies don’t just cater to one sport. One single MUGA can feature line markings and equipment for multiple sports, including extracurricular activities and after school clubs. You could even use it as an extra exam hall or a place to host parents’ evenings.
>> Did you know that we also offer padel court canopies? If padel is your sport, make sure you check them out. <<
Encourage wellbeing and activity levels: Above all, having a dedicated sheltered outdoor space can encourage more fresh air and social interactions, improving focus and mental wellbeing in the classroom and across the whole school. Staff and pupils can use the space even outside of school hours, which can also generate extra revenue to reinvest directly into the school’s budget.
Hear from one of our happy schools
The Mawney Foundation School, in Romford, wanted to increase the functionality of their multi-use games area so that pupils could play sports safely throughout the year. They were looking for a large canopy which would provide shelter as well as blend in well with their current architecture.
Our solution: We worked closely with the school to install a custom canopy that was precisely tailored to fit the dimensions of their games area. Their sports area measured 32m x 16m, and our completed Covered MUGA™ was large enough to accommodate this space, boasting a durable galvanised finish and opal polycarbonate roof. Not only does it offer a space for PE lessons all year round, but it also doubles as a playground shelter.
Read the full case study here.
Ways to encourage more sports in schools
Some of the key benefits of sports in schools include:
- Better overall health – Most children need at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, which has major benefits for their physical health
- Improved focus and learning – Physical activity gives students a break from their academic work, which in turn can help them concentrate better in lessons
- More social skills – Sports, especially those that involve team games, teach children how to make friends and work together
- Reduced stress and anxiety – Frequent exercise is not just good for the body, but also the mind. Sports can act as a natural outlet for academic pressure and daily stress
- Creating better habits – Those who participate in school sports are more likely to take up a sport outside of school and remain physically active as adults
But can schools do more? Playing sports is just one great way to help limit screen time and improve mental wellbeing, as we’ve mentioned above. But how exactly can you get pupils to feel just as passionate about spending time under a Covered MUGA™?
Here are some top tips:
- Offer more than just your basic sports. Children like having a choice, and being exposed to more sports gives them the opportunity to find something unique to them and be more creative. Our covered MUGAs™ can have markings for 4 to 5 different sports under one roof, meaning you don’t need to create or invest in multiple courts.
- Find more time for extracurricular clubs. Lots of schools are limited by timetables and restrictions when it comes to playing sports, but running before-school, after-school, and evening sports clubs can expand access for students who can’t participate during regular school hours or who are in a different class.
- Keep the environment clean and clutter-free. Muddy grass and dimly lit spaces can be major turn-offs for disengaged or non-sporty pupils. Make sure you keep your space tidy, clean, and well-lit, as this creates a much more inviting environment.
- Host inter-school tournaments or competitions. Students love to get competitive, especially when there is a prize involved! Building a strong sports culture relies on celebrations, inter-house competitions, and hosting local primary or secondary schools to participate. Having a Covered MUGA™ means that tournaments never have to be called off because of waterlogged pitches, making your school the ideal host.
Choose A&S Landscape as your trusted canopy partner
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to invest in a Covered MUGA™. For more sports in schools, it’s a no-brainer! Even when the weather isn’t on your side, you can rely on these structures to keep matches running and pupils socialising.
Here at A&S Landscape, we’ve been helping our clients create exceptional covered spaces for over 50 years. Whether you’re a primary school, secondary school, college, or sports facility, we can create bespoke canopies that suit your space perfectly.
Ready to get sporty? Get your free proposal today.
