Founded in the UK in 2015, BabyBallers now has over 70 clubs in the UK and a strong presence in Belgium, France and Northern Ireland. Now the first franchised club in Australia has opened in Geelong, Victoria, and there are plans to open at least 200 more in Australia and New Zealand over the next five years.
Unlike other children’s soccer franchises, BabyBallers caters specifically for the preschool age group of 16 months to five years. The classes are fun, interactive and designed to build self-confidence and support development in a number of areas including hand/eye and hand/foot coordination and fine and gross motor skills. Children also learn about colours, numbers and shapes – and soccer is a great way to learn about social skills such as teamwork and friendship.
Work life balance
Australia’s first franchisees, Brent Albuino and Ashleigh Carpenter, were looking for a business that gave them an opportunity to balance work and family.
“I wanted a franchise that I was passionate about and would enjoy running, but also gave me the flexibility to spend more time with my kids and enjoy a better quality of life,” said Brent, a former jockey and horse trainer. “We did a lot of market research and market analysis before deciding on BabyBallers.”
Babyballers aims to provide an affordable opportunity with low running costs for the right franchisees. Individual territories, area developer and master licence options are currently available for the right candidates in locations including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Darwin and the Gold Coast as well as New Zealand and Asia.