Love The Ball

What Love The Ball does

Love The Ball Limited is a UK private limited company founded in 2014 that delivers football and multi-sport coaching programmes to children aged 4-11 and aspiring youth players in Surrey, Southwest London, and Sussex. The firm operates four service lines: a recurring Schools Programme that delivers FA-aligned PE curriculum and after-school clubs inside partner schools; Holiday Camps running during school breaks with full-day and half-day options; tiered birthday Party Packages (Bronze, Silver, and Gold at Goals Wimbledon); and the LTB Sussex Academy, an elite-tier development pathway established in June 2014 that combines competitive fixtures against professional clubs with NVQ Sport Diploma study.

The company's core product is its coaching service, not a technology platform: delivery is built around the FA Long Term Player Development Plan and is led by FA-qualified coaches with Enhanced CRBs and safeguarding certifications. The firm has no proprietary technology stack, AI components, or integrations; the website (lovetheball.com) carries a basic booking, registration, and login system that supports direct-to-consumer camp and party bookings, while schools are engaged via direct email and phone outreach. Customer acquisition is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, partner school relationships, and prominently featured testimonials.

The business model is a hybrid of one-time and recurring revenue. Holiday camps and party packages are paid per booking at unit prices ranging from £24 for a half-day camp to £260 for a Gold party of 10 children. School programmes and the Sussex Academy are structured as recurring term-based or membership contracts. The company is privately held and founder-controlled, with Managing Director Jon Nurse (a former professional footballer with 500+ senior appearances and a UEFA B license) acting as the public face of the brand and the primary talent asset around which the coaching proposition is built.

Name

Love The Ball

Legal name

Love The Ball Limited

Website

https://lovetheball.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Love The Ball Limited is a UK private sports-education company that delivers FA-aligned football coaching to children aged 4-11 through school programmes, holiday camps, after-school clubs, birthday parties, and the Sussex Academy, serving families and schools across Surrey, Southwest London, and Sussex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Coaching and Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Youth sports coaching
• School PE programs
• Football holiday camps
• Birthday party packages
• Elite football academy

Headquarters

HQ city

New Malden

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Holiday Camps: One-time course fees for multi-day holiday camp programs. Full day and half day options available with add-on services (early drop-off, late pickup).
2. Birthday Party Packages: Three-tier party packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold) with per-child pricing and optional add-ons. Fixed venue option for Gold tier.
3. School Programs: Recurring term-based programs delivered in schools including PE lessons, after school clubs, and curriculum-based sessions for classes up to 30 pupils.
4. Academy Membership: LTB Sussex Academy running since June 2014, offering ongoing training, education (NVQ Sport Diploma), and development programs for aspiring footballers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Love The Ball delivers FA-aligned sports coaching and physical education services to children aged 4-18 across the UK, primarily in Surrey, Southwest London, and Sussex. Its core offerings include school PE curriculum delivery, term-time after-school clubs, school holiday multi-sport camps, football-themed birthday party packages, and an elite youth football academy. Revenue is generated through program fees paid by schools (B2B) and by parents/children (B2C).

Product overview

Love The Ball operates as a sports education company offering a portfolio of programmes spanning schools, holiday camps, after-school clubs, party packages, and an elite academy. The core offering is built around FA-aligned physical education delivery in schools (Schools Programme) and community settings (After School Clubs), supplemented by seasonal Holiday Camps and themed Party Packages across three pricing tiers. The LTB Sussex Academy represents the premium elite pathway, combining football training with academic study toward NVQ Sport Diplomas. All programmes share a unified coaching philosophy centred on the FA Long Term Player Development framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schools Programme Physical education curriculum and sports coaching delivered in primary and secondary schools for children from reception through secondary school, covering fundamental movement skills, competitive sports, and the FA Long Term Player Development Plan. Designed for schools lacking qualified PE teachers or needing specialist coaching, with sessions for classes up to 30 pupils.
• Holiday Camps Multi-day school holiday sports camps for boys and girls aged 4-11, offering full-day (9am-3pm) and half-day (9am-12pm) options at £34/day full and £24/day half, with full-week bundles at £144 full and £96 half. Includes optional early drop-off (8am, £11) and late pick-up (4.30pm, £16). All coaches are FA Qualified with Enhanced CRBs, FA Safeguarding and Emergency Aid Certificates.
• After School Clubs Weekly structured football and multi-sport sessions delivered on-site at children's schools during term time, bringing playground football into a structured learning environment. Sold directly to schools for delivery on their premises.
• Birthday Party Packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold) Football-themed birthday party packages for children: Bronze (£100 for 10 children, £10 per additional child — 1-hour session, mini match, certificates, trophy for birthday child); Silver (£150 for 10, £15 per additional — adds cold buffet of pizza, sandwiches, crisps, fruit, squash, and a Big Match/presentation); Gold (£260 for 10, £20 per additional — fixed venue at Goals Wimbledon, party room with food choice of pizza/hot dogs/hamburger, tournament, medals, goodie bags, complementary teas/coffees for parents).
• LTB Sussex Academy Elite youth football academy running since June 2014, offering professional-level training with competitive league play against professional clubs (Brighton and Hove Albion, AFC Wimbledon, Southend United, Blackpool, Stevenage, Aldershot, Cheltenham, Ipswich Town, and a friendly versus Nike Academy at St George's Park). Combines football development with NVQ Sport Diploma courses, FA Level 1 coaching badges, and a strength and conditioning programme at MY35 gym in Horsham, with pathways to professional football, non-league football, or USA scholarship schemes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children develop competence to excel in broad range of physical activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FA (Football Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014Affiliated with the Football Association. Follows the FA Long Term Player Development (LTPD) Plan. Coaches hold FA qualifications and badges. Registered with Whole Game System database administered by the FA.
• Surrey FAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLove The Ball is affiliated to Surrey FA. School football curriculum is based around the FA LTPD. Adheres to Surrey FA Respect Programme.
• MY35 Gym (Horsham)minorOthersState of the art gym facility in Horsham used for individual strength and conditioning programme for academy players.
• Goals Wimbledon (New Malden)minorOthersFixed venue partner for Gold birthday party package. Provides football facilities and party room for celebrations.
• Professional Football Clubs (Academy Matches)coreOthersAcademy has played against Brighton and Hove Albion, AFC Wimbledon, Southend United, Blackpool, Stevenage, Aldershot, Cheltenham, Ipswich Town, and Nike Academy (at St George's Park). Demonstrates credibility and development pathway.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tottenham Hotspur Foundation: Spurs Foundation delivers football coaching in schools and community programmes across North London and beyond. Overlaps with Love The Ball's school delivery and holiday camp model at a much larger institutional scale.
• Coerver Coaching: Established global football coaching method/franchise used by academies and clubs to train young players. Comparable to Love The Ball's academy programme in targeting aspiring youth footballers with structured skill development.
• Arsenal Soccer Schools: Arsenal's community soccer schools deliver coaching, camps and school programmes across London. Competes with Love The Ball for after-school club slots, holiday camp enrolment and school PE contracts in North/West London.
• Chelsea FC Foundation Soccer Schools: Premier League club foundation running commercial soccer schools, holiday camps and school programmes across London and the South East. A larger incumbent competing for the same school and parent customers Love The Ball targets.
• England Football (FA Skills / FA Youth Programmes): The FA's own grassroots youth coaching programmes (including FA Skills) operate in primary schools across England. The most influential reference point and partial competitor for Love The Ball's FA LTPD-aligned school delivery.

Direct peers

• Kixx: Franchised UK kids football coaching brand running classes, camps and academy sessions for primary-aged children. Overlaps directly with Love The Ball's after-school clubs, holiday camps and academy, and competes for the same parent customer.
• Little Kickers: UK-wide franchised network delivering pre-school and early-years football coaching in nurseries, schools and venues. Closest national analogue to Love The Ball's kids football coaching and holiday-camp offering, with a similar FA-aligned curriculum and parent-facing brand.
• Soccer Stars Academy: UK provider running football coaching for toddlers through to teens, including after-school clubs, nursery sessions and holiday camps. Direct overlap with Love The Ball's product set and customer demographic.
• We Make Footballers: UK football coaching franchise running after-school clubs, holiday camps and academy programmes for children. Directly comparable product mix (coaching for kids, schools engagement, camps) and a competitor for school PE contracts in the same South East geography.

Regional players

• Pro:Direct Soccer Academy: Pro:Direct operates youth football academies in Surrey and the South East. Jon Nurse is publicly associated with Pro:Direct Surrey accounts, indicating an overlapping coach network and overlapping geography for academy-aged players.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/love-the-ball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Love The Ball