Should I open or buy a Soccer Stars franchise in 2027?
Direct Answer
Yes for a low-capital, mobile operator who can sell programs into preschools, daycares, and parks — Soccer Stars is an asset-light early-childhood enrichment franchise with high margins. Soccer Stars (part of the Youth Athletes United portfolio that also owns i9 Sports and TGA) runs non-competitive, development-focused soccer classes for ages 1-10 delivered at schools, daycares, parks, and facilities.
The 2026 FDD lists a franchise fee around $30,000, total Item 7 investment of roughly $40,000 to $90,000, an 8% royalty, and a small brand fee. With no real estate, owner-discretionary margins reach 25%-40%. A mature territory grosses $150,000-$400,000, and multi-territory operators clear $80,000-$200,000.
The job is B2B partnership sales and coach management, not coaching.
The Real Numbers
Soccer Stars is a mobile, partnership-driven early-childhood soccer program. The operator signs agreements with preschools, daycares, parks departments, and community centers, hires and trains part-time coaches, and delivers age-appropriate soccer curricula using portable equipment.
It is home-based and asset-light, like its siblings.
| Line Item | Low | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise fee | $30,000 | $30,000 | Single territory |
| Equipment (portable) | $3,000 | $8,000 | Balls, cones, props, banners |
| Technology & software | $1,500 | $3,500 | Registration + scheduling |
| Insurance | $1,500 | $4,000 | GL + participant |
| Initial marketing | $4,000 | $12,000 | Partnership + parent launch |
| Training & travel | $2,500 | $6,000 | HQ onboarding |
| Working capital | $5,000 | $18,000 | Coach payroll float |
| Total Item 7 | ~$40,000 | ~$90,000 | Per 2026 FDD — no real estate |
| Royalty | 8% of gross | ||
| Brand fee | ~2% of gross |
Revenue reality: a mature territory enrolls 800-2,200 class registrations per year at $120-$250 per session-package, producing $150,000-$400,000 gross. With no rent, the main costs are coach labor (22%-30%), equipment (6%-10%), the 8% royalty, and the brand fee, leaving owner-discretionary earnings of 25%-40%.
Who Wins With This Business
- Capital required: $40,000-$90,000, with $30,000-$50,000 liquid — low for a real franchise.
- Time commitment: 25-45 hours per week, weighted to weekday daytime (preschools) and weekends (parks).
- Skills: B2B sales into schools/daycares and coach recruiting/management.
- Geographic fit: family-dense suburbs with many preschools/daycares and median HHI above $70,000.
- Lifestyle fit: flexible, daytime-heavy schedule that suits parents.
The best operators are relationship-driven salespeople who land and renew facility partnerships.
Who Loses With This Business
- Single-territory income ceiling — built for multi-territory scale.
- Sales-averse owners who won't pursue preschool/daycare/park contracts.
- Coach-quality failures that lose partner renewals.
- Seasonality and weather for outdoor classes — indoor partnerships hedge this.
- Low-young-child-density markets with too few preschoolers.
2027 Market Conditions
- Demand: early-childhood movement programs are resilient, working-parent-driven.
- Distribution: daycares and preschools increasingly outsource enrichment, supporting partnership demand.
- Competition: Soccer Shots, Lil' Kickers, Super Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes; differentiation is curriculum quality and convenience.
- Labor: part-time coach wages up in high-minimum-wage states.
- Consolidation: Youth Athletes United invests in shared registration tech and operations.
The 90-Day Decision Tree
- Day 1-15: Read the 2026 FDD and test the 8% royalty against enrollment projections.
- Day 16-30: Interview 8+ operators, weighted to multi-territory owners; ask about registrations, partner-renewal rates, and per-territory take-home.
- Day 31-45: Map preschools, daycares, parks, and median income in your territory.
- Day 46-60: Pre-sell 2-3 partner agreements before opening to validate demand.
- Day 61-75: Finance the $40K-$90K and complete HQ training; recruit first coaches.
- Day 76-85: Launch the first session and gather quality feedback for renewals.
- Day 86-90: Plan expansion — six figures requires 2-4 territories.
Alternative Plays
- Soccer Shots — $45K-$55K direct competitor, strong brand and school-partnership system.
- i9 Sports — $60K-$80K recreational leagues; higher per-territory revenue ceiling.
- TGA Premier Sports — sibling golf/tennis enrichment, similar low-capital model.
- Amazing Athletes — $35K-$60K mobile multi-sport for ages 1-6.
- The Little Gym — $200K-$500K brick-and-mortar child development.
- Independent enrichment company — full equity, no royalty, but you build partnerships yourself.
FAQ
How much does a Soccer Stars owner make in 2026?
Owner-discretionary earnings run $80,000-$200,000 for multi-territory operators; a single territory typically lands $45,000-$100,000. The asset-light, 25%-40%-margin model scales earnings with the number of partnerships and territories.
Do I coach the classes myself?
No. You hire and manage part-time coaches trained on the curriculum. Your role is landing and renewing preschool/daycare/park partnerships and managing program quality — B2B sales and operations.
Why is Soccer Stars inexpensive to open?
Because there is no real estate — classes run on partner and public space with portable equipment. The $40,000-$90,000 investment is mostly franchise fee, equipment, insurance, and launch marketing.
What is the biggest risk?
Partnership dependence and sales execution. Revenue requires continuously landing and renewing facility partnerships; sales-averse operators or those reliant on one partner are exposed. Diversifying across many preschools and parks mitigates this.
Can I run Soccer Stars part-time?
Initially, yes — many owners start while employed. But reaching six figures requires full-time sales focus and multi-territory expansion.
Bottom Line
Buy a Soccer Stars franchise if you want a low-capital ($40K-$90K), mobile, high-margin early-childhood enrichment business and you are comfortable selling into preschools and parks. It rewards relationship-builders who scale to multiple territories. Skip it if you dislike B2B sales, expect passive income from one territory, or want to coach rather than manage. For sales-driven operators in family-dense suburbs, Soccer Stars is a capital-efficient, recession-resilient entry into youth sports.
Sources
- Soccer Stars / Youth Athletes United Franchise Disclosure Document (2026 filing) — Items 5, 6, 7, 19, 20
- Soccer Stars official franchise site — investment range and model
- Entrepreneur Franchise 500 — Soccer Stars / Super Soccer Stars listing
- Franchise Business Review — youth-enrichment franchisee satisfaction data
- IBISWorld — Sports Coaching & Children's Fitness in the US, 2026 industry report
- Aspen Institute Project Play — State of Play 2025-2026 youth-sports report
- Afterschool Alliance — America After 3PM enrichment-demand data, 2025
- International Franchise Association (IFA) — 2027 Franchise Economic Outlook
- Statista — US early-childhood activity spend, 2025-2026
- US Census — young-child population data, 2025-2026