10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Football Academy – Part 3/10

🏆 10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Starting a Football Academy (Part 3/10)

⭐ Listen to Your Clients and Their Needs

"Listen to your customers – they have all the answers." – Sam Walton

Over the years of running a football academy, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to parents and children. Their feedback helps create a place that meets their expectations. And if the parents of young players make up the main source of income and stability for the organization, how could their opinions not matter?

✅ Feedback allows you to better tailor the offer – training times, locations, or additional initiatives.
✅ It builds trust-based relationships – when parents feel heard, they are more likely to get involved, recommend the academy, and stay longer.

What can you do?

1️⃣ Regular online surveys 📋 Create a short survey (e.g., in Google Forms) and send it to parents every quarter. Ask about training organization, quality, and suggestions for improvements. Make sure the questions are simple and open-ended.

2️⃣ Meetings with parents 🤝 Organize regular meetings, e.g., once per season, where parents can share their comments and ideas in person. It’s also a great chance to present future plans.

3️⃣ Easy access to contact 📞 Make sure parents know how to reach you. A dedicated email address, phone number, or quick chat after training shows that their opinion really matters. It’s important to respond quickly and specifically to their concerns.

‼️ Most important! Don’t avoid parents! Don’t build barriers. This is one of your most important tasks. Don’t be afraid of criticism. Learn from it.

Why is listening to clients valuable in business? 🎧💡

✅ You’ll understand their needs – and adapt your services accordingly.
✅ You’ll build trust – customers return where they feel heard and valued.
✅ You’ll introduce innovations – their suggestions inspire improvements.
✅ You’ll gain an advantage – quick responses to needs set you apart from the competition.
✅ You’ll avoid mistakes – focusing on what really matters instead of guessing.

💡 Listen, analyze, and act! Clients are your best source of knowledge. 🫶

Take a look at the photo 🙂 It shows one example of how I gathered feedback from parents back in 2018.