⚽︎ How This Youth Soccer Club Owner Made $1,575 From His First Skills Clinic
Most youth soccer club owners want to run profitable camps and clinics… But the reality is that many clubs struggle with:
Low turnout
Last-minute registrations
Competing with bigger clubs’ camps
Poor marketing systems
Not knowing how to price clinics properly
That’s exactly where Coach David, a youth soccer club director, was stuck.
He had a strong club culture and a small but loyal roster of players.
What he didn’t have was a proven system for running a clinic and filling it consistently.
So we helped him to run his first club-branded skills clinic — and it brought in $1,575 in a single session.
Here’s exactly how he did it.
⚽︎ Growing Revenue Without Adding More Teams
Club directors often think their only path to growth is:
Adding more teams
Raising registration fees
Bringing on more coaches
But those options don’t always scale quickly… And they don’t fix revenue gaps during the off-season.
Skills clinics, on the other hand, are:
Low cost
High demand
Easy to run
Perfect for player development
A great feeder system for club tryouts
Once we showed David this strategy, he realized he didn’t need more teams — he needed more events.
⚽︎ Pick a Clinic Concept Club Parents Actually Want
Most club clinics fail because they’re too generic.
So we helped David build a specific concept:
“First Touch & Ball Mastery Intensive — Ages 9–13”
Why this works for youth clubs:
It pairs well with club curriculum
Parents understand the benefit instantly
It attracts both club players and outside players
It positions the club as development-focused, not just team-focused
Clarity attracts confidence. Confidence attracts registrations.
⚽︎ Price It Correctly (Clubs Typically Undervalue Clinics)
Most youth clubs charge $20–$40 for clinics because they compare their pricing to their regular seasonal fees.
Bad idea.
Clinics should be priced based on:
Quality of coaching
Small group ratios
The specialized focus
Local demand
We priced David’s clinic at:
$75 per player
Capacity: 21 players
Result: 21 filled spots → $1,575 total revenue
This didn’t compete with his club fees — it added a new revenue stream.
⚽︎ Promote the Clinic Inside & Outside the Club
Here’s where club directors go wrong:
They send one email and hope people register.
Hope is not a marketing strategy.
David followed our 3-step promotion system:
Internal promotion to current club families
These are the families who already trust the club.
We wrote a simple message for him that explained:
The clinic focus
Limited spots
The benefit to their child’s development
Result: 14 sign-ups from current members.
Invite local players outside the club
Clinics double as tryout funnels.
David reached out to local parents and players who:
Attended previous camps
Joined rec programs
Had shown interest but never joined the club
Result: 5 new players registered.
Two of them later joined his club’s tryout pool.
Social media posts
No fancy videos.
Just:
A clear graphic
Age group
Date/time
“X spots left” updates
Result: The final 2 sign-ups.
⚽︎ Deliver a Memorable Club Experience
This is where clubs can stand out.
David made sure the clinic aligned with his club values:
High energy
Lots of ball touches
Precise coaching feedback
A positive, competitive environment
He also used the clinic to:
✔ Take photos/videos for marketing
✔ Build relationships with parents
✔ Showcase club culture
✔ Introduce non-members to his coaching style
By the end of the clinic:
Kids asked when the next one was
Parents requested more development programs
Several families signed up for club tryouts
The clinic wasn’t just profitable — it was a player pipeline.
⚽︎ Turn One Clinic Into a Revenue System
Here’s the most important part:
A clinic isn’t a one-off event. It’s a repeatable growth system.
After this first clinic, David:
Scheduled monthly clinics
Started a technical training program
Built an email list of interested players
Created recurring revenue outside of team fees
Increased club tryout interest
All from one clinic that made $1,575.
Ready to Run Clinics That Grow Your Club and Your Revenue?
If you’re a club director or coach who wants:
✔ More players
✔ More parent engagement
✔ More revenue outside of team fees
✔ A predictable player pipeline
✔ Repeatable clinics and camps that sell out
✔ A thriving club with real growth systems
Book a FREE 15-MIN CALL WITH ME TO SEE HOW I CAN HELP YOU GROW YOUR YOUTH SOCCER CLUB BUSINESS
⚽︎ Building a Private Goalkeeping Coaching Business with Jack Carillo
Soccer Coaching Business sat down with Jack Carillo, founder of Carillo Keeper School, to talk about his journey from player to coach, how he turned a side hustle into a thriving soccer training business, and what it takes to grow a goalkeeper coaching brand in today’s competitive soccer training landscape.
Leo: So Jack, how did you start Carillo Keeper School?
Jack: I started working for someone else at a facility, and they were taking most of the profits. When I asked if we could renegotiate my pay at the time — since my program was so successful — the owner had a negative reaction. That led to me leaving the facility.
Thankfully, most of the players and families followed me to my next location, where I managed the facility while also running my own goalkeeping program. Unfortunately, it was short-lived because I tore my ACL while playing semi-pro soccer. Once I was out, no one could really step into my role, and the facility eventually shut down and was sold to another company that went in a different direction.
After that, I took a bit of a hiatus from coaching classes and started doing more one-on-one private training. It was mostly cash-based, which helped with revenue but made it impossible to track profits or expenses like travel. As a younger coach, I made a lot of mistakes I now understand much better.
Later, I coached at a few colleges — New York College and St. Thomas Aquinas — and during that time, I met my wife. We got married, and when we were saving for our wedding, she actually encouraged me to get back into coaching. She said, “Do what you love — it’ll be better than picking up a night shift job.”
That advice got me back into the game. I started planning summer camps, clinics, private sessions, and club partnerships, and over the past five years, that has grown into something I’m really proud of.
Now, we work with about 100 goalkeepers a year and have eight coaches under me — some are in college, others have full-time jobs and coach part-time. We run winter and spring clinics, summer camps, and we’re even planning a holiday Goalkeeper Wars tournament this fall.
How Carillo Keeper School Stands Out
Leo: So tell us a bit more about your business — how is your goalkeeping company different from others?
Jack: Orange County, New York, isn’t known for its financial stability. It’s not like Westchester or New York City — the cost of living and wages are lower. So when some goalkeeper coaches come here charging $150 an hour, it’s short-lived. They usually move on.
My focus has always been on affordability and accessibility. I’d rather build strong numbers than chase high prices. We offer discounts for siblings and focus on creating value over ego.
Where we differ is that I specialize in developing new and young goalkeepers. Most coaches focus on advanced players — the ones already diving and flying around. I focus on the ones who can’t catch yet. We build the fundamentals and confidence first.
One of my proudest stories is a kid who came to me as a 9-year-old striker wanting to try goalkeeping. He fell in love with it and now plays at West Virginia University. That’s the kind of development we focus on — growth from the ground up.
What Makes a Great Goalkeeping Session
Leo: You’ve coached for a long time. What do you think makes a great goalkeeping session?
Jack: First — it has to be fun.
If it’s all drills and pressure without joy, it becomes a chore. The coach needs to bring energy, the players need to enjoy it. After every session, I ask my keepers three questions:
Did you get a good workout?
Did you learn something new or improve on something?
Did you have fun?
That last question is the most important. Goalkeeping is a high-pressure position — we stand in front of hard shots and often get blamed for losses. If you stop having fun, it’s time to step away.
Second — every session needs a plan.
You have to know your goal for that day. Without a structure, you’ll lose serious players who crave direction.
And third — meet players where they’re at.
If you’re coaching mixed levels, you need to challenge each group appropriately. The advanced keeper shouldn’t feel held back, and the beginner shouldn’t feel lost.
Handling Different Skill Levels
Leo: How do you handle sessions with goalkeepers at different levels?
Jack: For my programs, I separate them. When it’s my camp, I create groups based on age and skill:
Future Pros: 14 and under
Elite Development Academy: 15 and up
Within those, we further divide based on ability. On day one, we evaluate everyone and move players if needed. Parents appreciate the honesty.
At club sessions, where you can’t fully separate, I build drills that push both groups — maybe small-group footwork for the advanced ones, simpler catching work for the others. Then we bring everyone together for games so younger keepers can see what the next level looks like.
So — fun and competition together, but focused development during drills.
Biggest Obstacle as a Coach-Turned-Business Owner
Leo: What’s been your biggest challenge since starting your coaching business?
Jack: Honestly, not knowing my worth early on.
When I first started, I just accepted whatever pay I was offered because I wanted to coach. Later, when I tried to renegotiate, I realized how much that limited me.
Also, being a goalkeeper coach used to mean being an afterthought. Clubs often didn’t value the position enough to pay extra for specialized training. That’s changing now, thankfully — parents are more educated and goalkeeping is becoming more respected.
The Future of Private Training in the U.S.
Leo: Where do you see private training going in the next few years?
Jack: Private and supplemental training is only going to grow — not just in soccer, but across all sports. Parents are investing in development for scholarships and college opportunities.
In soccer, the pay-to-play model is both good and bad — it creates opportunities but also pressure. The key is avoiding burnout. I always remind my players: if you stop enjoying it, it’s not worth it.
More coaches are getting educated too — learning about fitness, psychology, and development beyond technique. That’s the direction I see the industry heading.
Advice for New Coaches Starting a Business
Leo: What advice would you give a coach who’s thinking of starting their own business?
Jack: Ask yourself why.
If your goal is just to make money, you’ll burn out. But if it’s to see kids grow and love the game, you’ll stick with it.
Also — make it your own. Don’t just copy what others do. Find your teaching style, your values, your system. And never think you’re the best — always keep learning.
Parents don’t send their kids to you because you’re “the best.” They send them because you help their child wake up excited to play. That’s the real measure of success.
Streamlining the Business Side
Leo: Tell us about your current sales and registration process.
Jack: When I started, everything was cash-based — messy and hard to track. About four years ago, I discovered Demosphere, a platform that handles my website, registration, and payments all in one place.
It was a $500 setup fee, and they take a small cut per transaction, but it changed everything. Now I can track every registration, payment, and email contact automatically. I can compare profits from camp to camp, forecast attendance, and pay my coaches fairly.
Before, I was guessing — now I can run reports, send email blasts, and manage everything professionally.
If you’re still using cash or spreadsheets — trust me — switching to a proper system saves time, money, and stress.
The Next 5 Years
Leo: Where do you see your business in the next five years?
Jack: My goal is to return to where we were heading before the pandemic — residential goalkeeper camps.
Before COVID hit, we ran our first residential camp at a local college. It was a huge success, but the pandemic stopped that momentum. Now, I want to expand into two or three residential camps across the Hudson Valley, while still offering local day options.
We already have goalkeepers coming from Pennsylvania and NYC, so this would make it easier for them and open bigger opportunities for our advanced players.
Leo: That’s amazing, Jack. Thanks so much for sharing your journey and insights.
Jack: Thank you so much — I really appreciate it!