Lil’ Kickers is a nationally recognized youth program dedicated to teaching soccer to children from 18 months to 12 years old. Originally launched in 1999 at Arena Sports in Seattle, Washington, the initiative has flourished into a widespread franchise, now operating at over 100 locations throughout the U.S.
The curriculum is thoughtfully structured for various age brackets, combining soccer instruction with a strong emphasis on child development. Each session is guided by principles from respected child development research, supporting growth in physical abilities, emotional resilience, and social confidence—offering benefits that extend well beyond the playing field.
What sets Lil’ Kickers apart is its whole-child approach. The program blends athletic training with character-building in a fun, nurturing environment. This formula has earned the trust of families across the nation, with more than two million children having participated since its inception.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Lil' Kickers offers a well-structured training system for its franchisees to ensure quality and consistency across all locations:
Lil' Kickers offers a mix of exclusive and non-exclusive territorial protections depending on the type of program a franchisee operates. Franchisees running a traditional Lil' Kickers Program typically receive an “Exclusive Area,” generally defined as a 10-minute driving radius around their facility.
This exclusivity prevents other Lil' Kickers franchises from operating within that radius, provided the franchisee meets all contractual obligations.
However, for those operating a Micro Lil' Kickers Program, the territory is classified as “Non-exclusive.” This means the franchisor retains the right to establish or allow other franchises, or even operate company-owned locations, within the same area.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
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