If the founders of a new franchise have their way, this nation of mighty rugby players may soon be producing a core of talent for future World Cup soccer squads. The idea of starting children as young as 12 months on ‘the beautiful game’ might surprise some but is proving very successful as Tony Morrison, the creator of the Little Dribblers franchise, explains. ‘Football is the simplest game in the world. Anyone can understand it. It is ideal for children because there is no need to catch the ball and no dangerous things like hockey sticks. It really is sport at its most basic – two year olds can grasp the idea.’

The aim of Little Dribblers is straightforward – to give children a love and understanding of the game and to make an attractive family activity for their parents and grandparents to enjoy. ‘Along the way, the boys and girls also learn confidence, co-ordination and sportsmanship, and gain in confidence through praise and feedback.’

Tony started playing football when he was five. ‘I’ve experienced all the highs and lows of football, played a couple of national league games for Hutt Valley United, and continue to play and coach as much as possible. It is a wonderful game for getting people of all ages involved. The pitch is about one-eighth size,’ says Tony, ‘small enough for the babies but big enough for the ones with a bit of a clue to have a go. They all wear uniforms and there are goal posts and corner flags. Kids from one to seven love it, and with parents and extended families on the sidelines to cheer them on they get a great buzz, especially when they manage to kick it into the goal!’

Passionate Accountant Buys First Franchise

Tony has been running Little Dribblers at Miramar for five years and looking for the right medium to carry the idea forward. Enter fellow football enthusiast Bill Scott. After 20 years abroad, Bill returned to Wellington and formed Best Practice Ltd, a strategic planning company. ‘I was completely enthralled by the idea of Little Dribblers,’ he says. ‘I thought it was a brilliant idea, and I noticed for a lot of families it was about the only quality time the parents got with their kids.’ After careful planning and implementation of systems and procedures, the franchise was born.

The first Little Dribblers franchisee is Luke Cartmell-Gollan, who has taken over the Miramar business as Tony prepares to help other new franchisees get established around the country. Born close to the Arsenal ground in London, Luke studied accountancy and management at university before specialising in energy efficiency. A passionate footballer, Luke is convinced the $44,000 franchise fee is good value for a business that offers great cash flow. ‘I’ve done all the figures on a “worst case” scenario, and even if I had to pay someone a salary it still stacks up. I’m sure that it will pay back within two years – all we need now is for the franchise to expand nation-wide so we can all benefit from each other.

‘Little Dribblers operates during term time and I’ve taken eight weeks to immerse myself in the workings before launching in term three. There’s full training provided and a detailed operations manual to make it easy. It needn’t be a full-time business – I’m aiming to spend 8-10 hours a week on it, plus Saturday and Sunday mornings, but I suppose that depends how big you want to grow it. I’m very happy to share my experiences with any potential franchisees.’

Bill Scott says that the ideal Little Dribblers franchisee will be enthusiastic, likeable and passionate about kids. At the same time they must be business-like (or have the ability to learn the basics of business management), financially stable and have strong communication skills. ‘You must also be responsible, reliable and keen to make a difference in people’s lives,’ he adds. ‘If that’s you, we could help you kick start your own business.’

This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 19 Issue 2 

Contact details for Little Dribblers Football Club

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