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1st Touch Football Increased Revenue by 55% with the Leading Football Management Software
See how Josh and Jamie grew 1st Touch Football from a small coaching project into a thriving football academy with more than 200 students, all supported by the no. 1 football management software.
What challenges do football academies face as they grow?
Josh and Jamie founded 1st Touch Football in Glasgow’s Southside after years of coaching part-time while studying. They knew they wanted to create an academy that felt energetic, welcoming, and focused on player development. Their enthusiasm and strong community spirit helped them grow quickly, and it was not long before more than 200 children were attending weekly sessions.
I’m proud of the community we’ve managed to build up - we have loads of happy children and even happier parents.
But success brought new challenges. Paper registers piled up, booking processes felt clunky, and customer information sat in different places. Managing finances took more time than it should, and it became difficult to offer the smooth, professional experience they wanted parents to enjoy.
What had started as a dream job soon came with processes that drained time and energy. Josh and Jamie knew they needed stronger systems if they wanted to grow with confidence and explore growth opportunities. A parent recommended ClassForKids, and after a quick demo, they realised how much easier it would be to stay organised with a booking and management platform built specifically for kids’ activity clubs.
How does the ClassForKids football management software improve organisation?
Once Josh and Jamie introduced ClassForKids, the day-to-day running of their football academy felt far easier to manage. They finally had one place to organise bookings, payments, registers, parent communication, and customer information. This gave them a clear view of their classes and helped them focus on coaching and business growth rather than admin.
Parents noticed the difference straight away. The new booking journey felt simple and professional, which in turn increased customer loyalty.
Parents have told us that they found ClassForKids really easy to use, and it made the experience of booking and paying for classes really straightforward for them.
And that was just the beginning. With their new football team management software, Josh and Jamie could easily collect, organise, and access customer information. And financial reports helped them understand seasonal trends as well as how individual classes were performing.
How football management software supports long-term success
Since adopting ClassForKids, 1st Touch Football has grown steadily and with far more confidence. Revenue has increased by 55%, and subscriptions now account for most of their total income. This gives Josh and Jamie predictable monthly revenue that supports planning, staffing, and long-term investment in their business.
ClassForKids has also given them a clearer understanding of how their academy performs.
ClassForKids gives us a full financial overview of our company and our class sizes, the number of bookings, so we can see where there's room to grow.
Attendance reports, subscription data, and payment visibility show them which sessions thrive and where extra support or investment will make a difference. These insights help them shape their timetable, understand demand, and identify opportunities to expand.
Smart registration questions help them understand customer behaviour and reach more parents using targeted Facebook and Google Ads with greater accuracy. ClassForKids has also supported them with an onboarding experience that feels quick and straightforward.
ClassForKids are really supportive. We were able to set up our system in the space of a short Zoom call and start taking bookings the very next day. It is simple and does not take long at all.”
With ClassForKids in place, they have the structure they need to develop coaches, strengthen their programme, and explore franchising across Scotland. If you have similar plans for your own academy, read our blog to find out how to set up, grow, and manage a football franchise with confidence.
A smoother booking and payment experience for parents
A simple booking and payment experience makes a real difference for busy parents. With ClassForKids football management software, 1st Touch Football offers a clear and professional booking journey from the moment a parent lands on their online class booking page. Parents can book and pay in 3 clicks, receive the information they need straight away, and feel confident that their child’s details are stored securely.
Josh and Jamie see this every day in their academy. Parents appreciate how smooth the experience feels, and this has helped the academy build stronger customer relationships.
This reliable parent experience now plays a big part in how 1st Touch Football continues to grow. If you want to offer the same reliable experience in your own football academy, explore our football management tools that support organised and confident growth.
Key Takeaways from 1st Touch Football’s Success
1st Touch Football shows how much easier growth becomes when your academy has the right foundations in place. Strong coaching and a clear vision will always matter, but it is the organisation behind the scenes that keeps everything steady as demand increases. When parents book quickly, coaches stay organised, and you have accurate information at your fingertips, it becomes far easier to grow with confidence.
Here are the lessons from Josh and Jamie’s journey.
With ClassForKids, bookings, registers, and payments sit in one secure place so the whole academy stays organised.
Parents return when the booking journey feels simple and professional.
Reporting helps you understand which classes are thriving and where support is needed.
Subscriptions provide reliable monthly income that supports long-term planning.
Ability to collect and organise customer information supports your football academy marketing.
If you want to grow your football academy with confidence, take a look at our self-guided tour to explore the ClassForKids football management software at your own pace and see how it could support your next stage of growth.
