Football Friends

What Football Friends does

Football Friends is a privately held football (soccer) academy headquartered in Geldrop, Noord Brabant, Netherlands. Founded in 2018 by Nick Kuijlaars (Hoofd trainer & oprichter), the academy operates as an after-school supplemental training provider serving children aged 6 and older as well as adult players in the local Geldrop area. The core service is small-group coaching organized across age tiers (O6 through O16+), with explicit emphasis on personal attention, individual development, and a self-described 'family' community culture. The business is bootstrapped, with no external funding and no parent company, and operates with a team of approximately 5 staff plus interns.

Name

Football Friends

Legal name

Football Friends

Website

https://footballfriends.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Football Friends is a Dutch football academy in Geldrop, Netherlands, offering supplemental small-group soccer training for players aged 6+ and adults. Founded in 2018 by Nick Kuijlaars, the academy delivers weekly group, goalkeeper, and calisthenics training, plus holiday camps and Nike-branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Football Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF), Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG)

Keywords

• Football training services
• Youth soccer academy
• Goalkeeper training
• Football camps
• Sports coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Geldrop

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Training fees: Revenue is generated primarily through regular football training sessions. Players register and pay for ongoing group training programs offered at various skill levels and age groups, training once or multiple times per week at the football school.
2. Merchandise sales (Nike clothing): Football Friends sells Nike-branded clothing packages to its players and families, including training kits, match kits, jackets, and Nike backpacks at competitive prices through an online order form.
3. Football activities and camps: Additional revenue comes from organized activities during school holidays: Football Days (Voetbaldagen), summer and winter break training sessions, football camps (single and multi-day), and boxing training. Also includes children's birthday parties.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Football Friends is a local football (soccer) academy that delivers in-person training programs for children aged 6 and older, as well as adults, led by founder and head trainer Nick Kuijlaars. Core offerings include group field training, ball-less (calisthenics) physical training, goalkeeper training, and on-location professional training, supplemented by holiday football days, multi-day football camps, boxing sessions, children's birthday parties, and branded Nike apparel packages.

Product overview

Football Friends is a football (soccer) academy offering a unified service portfolio centered around its Voetbalschool (Soccer School) core product. The academy provides structured training programs for children aged 6 and older, including Groepstraining (field group training), Groepstraining zonder bal (ball-less physical training), Keeperstraining (goalkeeper training), and BVO training op locatie (on-location professional training). Supplementary offerings include seasonal Voetbaldagen (football days during school holidays), summer/winter break training, Boksen (boxing sessions), Kinderfeestjes (birthday parties), and Voetbalkampen (football camps). A branded Nike clothing package (training suit, match kit, jacket, backpack) is available for purchase. All programs are led by Nick Kuijlaars and emphasize individual development within a family environment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Football Friends Voetbalschool (Football Friends Soccer School) Core football academy service providing structured training programs for children aged 6 and older, delivered by founder Nick Kuijlaars and his coaching team. Encompasses group training, goalkeeper training, and on-location BVO/professional training for individuals and teams.
• Groepstraining (Group Training) Field training sessions designed to develop players across endurance, technique, explosiveness, and tactics, with sufficient trainers per group to ensure personal attention. For youth and adult players.
• Groepstraining zonder bal (Ball-less Group Training) Ball-less (calisthenics) physical training sessions developing endurance, speed, strength, and agility, delivered at Calisthenics park Gimli in Geldrop.
• Keeperstraining (Goalkeeper Training) Specialized goalkeeper training in small groups focused on endurance, technique, explosiveness, and tactics to elevate keepers to a higher level.
• BVO training op locatie (BVO Training at Location) Professional football training delivered at a custom location, ranging from individual sessions to team training, bookable per session or as a series and led by Nick Kuijlaars.
• Voetbaldagen (Football Days) Football-themed day camps during school holidays for children aged 6 to 14, featuring fun games, circuit activities, penalty competitions, and prizes in small groups.
• Voetbalkampen (Football Camps) One-day and multi-day football camps for children from age 8, featuring full-day football activities, professional supervision, healthy meals, and small groups for personal attention.
• Boksen (Boxing) Specialized boxing training sessions held several times per year, offering physically demanding workouts that benefit football play.
• Kinderfeestjes (Children's Birthday Parties) Fully organized football-themed birthday party packages, customizable to fit any budget, with football as the central activity.
• Football Friends Nike Clothing Package Complete Nike sportswear package for purchase, including training suit, match kit, jacket, and Nike backpack; also available as individual items (kit, jacket and training pants, sweater, backpack).

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VV GeldropcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVV Geldrop is a football club that hosts Football Friends training sessions at its Sportpark de Kievit facility. This partnership provides Football Friends with a home venue for its training programs and creates a local ecosystem connection between the academy and the club.
• Brabant Sports BoxtelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrabant Sports Boxtel is listed as a partner of Football Friends. The partnership is described as sharing the same vision and excelling in their field. The nature of the collaboration appears to be mutual support and alignment between two football-oriented organizations in the Brabant region.
• Soccer ImprovedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoccer Improved is listed as a partner of Football Friends, chosen for sharing the same vision and excelling in their field. The collaboration appears focused on joint efforts to optimally develop football talent.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coerver Coaching: Dutch-originated international football coaching method and academy network founded by Wiel Coerver. Operates coaching clinics, training camps, and coach education, sharing Football Friends' focus on technical skill development in small-group youth settings.
• Challenger Sports: International soccer coaching company running camps, clinics, and training programs for youth players. Comparable business model combining weekly supplemental training with seasonal camp revenue streams.
• Brazilian Soccer Schools: International network of football coaching schools using Brazilian methodology, offering weekly training sessions, holiday camps, and birthday parties for children. Directly comparable service portfolio and D2C community-led GTM motion.
• Ajax Soccer Schools: Ajax's official youth football development and soccer schools program. Operates supplemental training programs, camps, and clinics for youth players across the Netherlands and internationally using a top-club methodology, directly comparable to Football Friends' supplemental academy model.
• Feyenoord Soccer Schools: Feyenoord's youth soccer schools program offering supplemental training, clinics, and camps for children across the Netherlands. Comparable in service mix (group training, camps, branded merchandise) and target audience (youth footballers and families).
• Cruyff Football / Johan Cruyff Institute: Dutch-anchored football coaching and youth development organization carrying the Cruyff legacy. Runs training programs, clinics, and curriculum development for youth football, comparable in philosophy and target market to Football Friends' developmental training offering.
• PSV Soccer Schools / PSV Academy: PSV Eindhoven's official youth development program, also based in the Brabant region near Football Friends. Offers training clinics, camps, and academy-style coaching for youth players, representing both a regional peer and a potential competitive threat.

Regional players

• Soccer Stars (UK): UK-based youth football coaching program offering weekly toddler and children football classes, parties, and holiday camps. Comparable target market (children aged 6+) and service mix, but operates primarily in the UK rather than the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/football-friends
• Instagraminstagram.com/footballfriends2.0
• TikToktiktok.com/@footballfriends2022

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Football Friends