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How much coaching experience do you need to start your own Football Coaching Business?
Starting your own business can be both scary and exciting. However, the prospect of going full- or part-time in the football industry is well worth the journey!
Running a business does require some skill, but, the core ingredients to success are:
- a willingness to learn
- the drive to succeed
- passion for what you are doing.
Many coaches work ad-hoc hours, part-time or as subcontractors for a number of years. During this time they will be gathering experience and building a network in the football community, before setting up their own businesses.
Others decide to create a main of income by starting their own coaching business at an earlier stage. This allows them to choose when and where to coach in their future years.
The We Make Footballers franchise network is made up of people with a range of coaching experiences – from non-coaching franchisees to RTC and Academy Level Coaches.
We recently caught up with one of the franchisees: 24-year-old Coach Amir, owner of the WMF Beckenham franchise.
When and how did you start coaching?
Coach Amir: I have been coaching for eight years since the age of 16. I started at Lewisham Youth. At this point I had no qualifications or experience, so I volunteered and became the U8s team assistant coach whilst gaining my FA Level 1 Football Coaching Badge.
As the months went by, I started to learn how to deal with the children’s energy and improved my child management skills.
What qualifications have you gained?
Over the years I have built up my coaching badges. I gained my FA Level 1 at 16 years old, my FA Level 2 and Youth modules before turning 20. Every year I attended a range of on and offline football coaching courses, read coaching articles and subscribed to blogs to stay relevant.
After college, I got to complete a degree in coaching science. It was a great addition to my qualifications, but, I would always say that qualifications paired with experience is the best way forward.
What levels have you coached at?
I’ve been very fortunate with all the different opportunities I’ve had in football. I’ve been able to coach at different levels, age groups and teams throughout my career.
I spent two years at my local grassroots club working with U8s team, before joining Little Foxes as a Head Coach. The role taught me the importance of fun and individual development.
Next, I joined Croydon FC as Manager of the U15s, where I was able to make coaching my lifestyle. I stayed with the team until they reached the U21s group.
Arsenal FC development centre then offered me a ten-week contract with the U10s team, which took my coaching journey to the next level. At the end of my contract I was offered a role as the U8s advanced centre coach (Pre-Academy).
I spent the next two years at Arsenal, coaching in their Italian Development Centre. One of the biggest moments of my career followed, when I was offered the position of Head Coach at the Arsenal Academy in Morocco. I coached there for six months!
Why start your own coaching business?
After my experience in Morocco, I felt like I was ready for something different. I always wanted to start a business of my own and knew I had to pursue my passion.
I feel very lucky to be working in an industry I’m passionate about and which has so much potential.
I’ve started my franchise on a part-time basis. My goal is to go full-time in football with my business by the end of my first year!
Why did you choose to start a franchise with We Make Footballers?
I came across We Make Footballers when I was researching how to start my own football coaching business. Their franchise offered weekly training, camps, school training and other services for children aged 4-12 of all abilities with the goal of helping them become the best they can be.
After speaking with CEO Sean Conlon, I was very impressed with their structure and loved their philosophy. The franchise opportunity meant I would get support from the Head Office to help me run the business side of things.
In June 2018 I signed up to WMF and launched my own franchise. I now have over 60 children attending my weekly training!
So far it has been an amazing journey. I am extremely excited to see what the future holds for my business! One thing I am sure of is that children will create fun and unforgettable memories at our training sessions. I’m making a positive impact on football in my area everyday and help children and families enjoy football!
A Franchise For Passionate Individuals
Everyone has a different coaching journey. We have seen individuals with varied amounts of experience from FA Level 1s to UEFA A Licence become successful with our franchise model.
Starting your own coaching business as a franchise provides you with a proven business model, marketing strategies, booking and sales software, and ongoing support to help you achieve your goals. Take a look at the We Make Footballers Franchise Opportunity to see if starting a business is the next step for you in your coaching journey!