How to Grow a Private Soccer Training Business: From $18K to $200K a Year
Hector Cantele runs a private soccer training academy in Memphis, Tennessee. His first year in business, he did $18,000. A few years later, he was on pace to clear $200,000.
His coaching didn't change. The business around it did.
Here's his story, in his own words.
He was good at coaching. He had no business.
Hector is a former University of Memphis soccer player. When he started his academy, relationships got him clients — but everything else was improvised.
"I didn't have the tools to make my business more safe or more secure. I felt like I was doing things out of the box, out of the blue. I was not following a system."
It was just him. Ten to twelve sessions a week. No agreements, no payment system, no real way to talk to parents about what he was selling.
The shift: systems.
He joined my program in the spring of 2019. What he got wasn't motivation — it was infrastructure:
- A real payment setup
- Written agreements with players and parents
- How to set up and run camps
- How to run clinics
- Follow-up processes
- Word-for-word scripts for the parent conversation before a player commits
"That was exactly what I was looking for, because I needed something that would give more prestige to the academy."
The revenue run.
- 2018 (first partial year): $18,000
- 2019 (joined the program): $60,000
- 2020: $120,000 — a 100% increase
- 2021: on pace for $200,000–$215,000
What the business looks like now.
- Three coaches working in the academy (it used to be just him)
- 60–65 kids training every week (up from 10–12 sessions)
- Three summer camps: 16, 19, and 17 players
- Four to six clinics a year
"The growth has been exponential in all aspects, and that's been thanks to his mentorship, thanks to the system that he has in place."
His advice to coaches on the fence.
"Stop thinking about it — it's worth it. Every penny is worth it."
He's still in the program years later, because the questions keep coming and the answers keep moving his business forward.
The takeaway.
Relationships started Hector's business. Systems scaled it. That's the pattern in every one of these case studies: the coaching was never the problem. The business was.
Frequently asked questions
How long did it take Hector to go from $18K to $200K?
His first year he did $18,000. He joined the program in spring 2019 and did $60,000 that year, $120,000 in 2020, and was on pace for $200,000–$215,000 in 2021.
What actually changed in his business?
Systems. Payment setup, written agreements, camps, clinics, follow-up processes, and word-for-word scripts for parent conversations. His coaching didn't change — the business around it did.
What does his academy look like now?
Three coaches, 60–65 kids training every week, three summer camps, and four to six clinics a year.
What was his business like before?
Just him. Ten to twelve sessions a week. No agreements, no payment system, no real way to talk to parents about what he was selling.
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