Established
2000
Franchise Units
165
Minimum Investment
$70,350
Franchise Fee
$49,500
Total Investment Range
$102,250
Home Based
No
Description
Founded in 2000 in New York City, Soccer Stars has grown into the country's largest corporately run youth soccer program. Our mission is to positively impact kids through Soccer. The primary goal is to have fun while teaching the fundamentals of the sport. We use the soccer ball as a vehicle to help children improve their soccer skills while at the same time building self-confidence, enhancing gross motor skills, honing socialization skills, and developing physical literacy. Dynamic coaches work with small groups of boys and girls ages 1 year – 18 years old to develop these skills and teamwork in a fun, non-competitive, educational 40 – 60-minute class-based environment. Soccer Stars operates in over 25 states reaching over 125,000 children each year.
After 20+ years of success, establishing proven systems along the way, Soccer Stars is now franchising and ready to positively impact communities all across the country. The brand continues to have strong unit economics in licensed and corporate locations across 13 states with low start-up costs, 20+ years of curriculum and systems, strong leadership, and operational excellence.
Soccer Stars has revenue streams across multiple channels including pre-schools, daycares, elementary schools, parks & rec programs, soccer clubs, private groups, birthdays and more. We offer multiple program types to suit all ages: Soccer Stars Parent & Me (ages 1-2), Super Soccer Stars (ages 2-10), Soccer Stars United development and travel programs (ages 5-18), Shining Soccer Stars developed for children with disabilities (ages 2-14) with revenue driven primarily through enrollments and merchandise.
Background
- Established Year: 2000 (New York City)
- Franchising Since: 2022
- Franchise Active Units: 165+ units across the USA
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Company Units Open: 4
- Founders: Originally founded by Gustavo Szulansky; currently spearheaded by Adam Geisler (CEO) and John Erlandson under the Youth Athletes United platform.
- Registered in non-registration states:CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NY, RI, SD, VA, WI, & WA
The brand journey began in the heart of NYC, evolving from a single local program into a national powerhouse. Today, Soccer Stars operates in over 13 states and 25 major markets, reaching more than 110,000 children annually. Its parent company, Youth Athletes United, is one of the country’s largest youth sports franchise platforms, giving Soccer Stars franchisees a massive competitive advantage through shared resources, veteran leadership, and a multi-brand ecosystem.
Support Training
Site Selection Assistance: N/A - 100% mobile!
Lease Negotiation Assistance: N/A - 100% mobile!
Recruiting Assistance: Yes, Franchisor support recruiting programs
Training:
Virtual Pre-Training & Onboarding
- Admin setup & tasks - CRM, marketing email system, LMS
5 Day In-Person Training at Corporate
- Experience the culture and classes
- 3 days are curriculum-based
- 1 day of study
- Last day – coach a live class!
In-Market Grand Opening & Sales Support
- Business development focused with Franchisor Coach
On-Going Support
World-class support from a franchisor that actually runs multiple units in the franchise they are selling!
It all starts with building your business go-to-market strategy during the initial training. You’ll leave with the confidence in knowing exactly what you need to do to get revenue going as soon as you arrive back in your market.
From there we provide weekly strategy meetings, quarterly town halls as well as regional summits so you can meet and share ideas with other franchisees that are nearby.
In December we hold an annual conference across all brands part of Youth Athletes United.
We will also provide you with a Business Success Coach for up to one year after graduating from training to ensure no stone is left unturned!
Marketing Strategies
Youth Athletes United offers an in-house marketing team dedicated to Soccer Stars who create a Go-To-Market strategy and grand opening package for every Franchisee. YAU has a shared customer database across all YAU franchises for Franchisees to benefit from and market to.
Marketing support starts with a B2B focus that identifies:
- Parks & Rec Departments – will give you the space for classes
- Elementary & Pre-Schools – will help you build a customer list
- Community Centers – will help drive enrollment
Fill classes using the following methods:
- Guerilla marketing
- Local PR & mailers
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Events & demos
- Each Soccer Stars franchise location has a unique page on the national Soccer Stars website. This makes it easy for customers to find you, learn about you, and connect with you.
Ideal Candidate
Function & Daiy Tasks of the Owner-Operator
- Sales
- Marketing
- Training & Staffing Coaches
- Working with Partners where classes are hosted
- Consumer Service
- Financials
Function & Daily Tasks of the Semi-Absentee Owner
Required to hire a General Manager to run the business.
- Sales
- Marketing
- Manager Management
- Financials
IDEAL CANDIDATE
If you are passionate about positively impacting kids and your community through sports, this is the opportunity for you!
Traits of a Soccer Star Franchisee:
- Prior experience working with children & a passion to positively impact kids
- Doesn’t have to be athletic but must love sports
- Ability to sell and network within their community, no introverts
- Experience managing hourly employees a plus
Financial Detail
Soccer Stars franchise fees for 2026:
Investment Range (1 Unit): $70,350 - $102,250
Cash Investment: $100,000
Required Net Worth: $250,000
Required Liquid Capital: $100,000
Franchise Fee:
1 Unit: $49,500
2 Units: $94,000
3 Units: $134,000
4 Units: $169,000
Royalty Fee: 8%
Brand Fund Contribution: Greater of 1% of Gross Revenue or $200 per month
Item 19: Yes
Average Number of Employees:
-
0–1 employees at the start
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For semi-absentee ownership, the owner must commit 15–20 hours per week and hire a full-time General Manager
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Initial focus should be on sales
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No fixed expenses; hiring is based on program sales
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Primary roles include Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches
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Structured pathway for coach growth and compensation
Visa Candidates: Yes
Semi-Absentee Ownership: Yes
Home-Based: Yes
Business Model: B2B & B2C
Master Franchise Opportunities: No
Veteran Discount: 10% off the initial territory franchise fee
Item 19 Earnings Claims:
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Average Gross Revenue: $162,958.52 (based on 30 franchise owners)
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Average Gross Profit: $95,038.90