FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3/19/2026

Lil’ Kickers Inc Named a 2026 Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review

Independent Franchisee Survey Confirms Strong Satisfaction with Support, Leadership, and Overall Performance

Redmond, Washington 3/19/2026 – Lil’ Kickers Inc. has been named a 2026 Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review, an honor based entirely on feedback from the people who know the business best: its franchise owners. Franchise Business Review’s annual Franchisee Satisfaction Awards recognize franchise systems that deliver a strong, consistent experience across support, leadership, and financial opportunity.

For more than 20 years, Franchise Business Review has identified the top franchise opportunities in North America using independent, third-party research.

Lil’ Kickers is a youth sports franchise focused on child-development-based soccer programming for young children. The brand operates at national scale, with more than 130 franchise locations, nearly 3 million children enrolled, and 50,000+ trained coaches. Its key differentiation is a turnkey, low-overhead operating model that combines expert-designed curriculum with ongoing training, marketing, and business support, helping franchisees launch quickly and grow within existing sports facilities or new markets.

Unlike awards based on brand awareness or application fees, Franchise Business Review’s rankings are determined solely by franchisee satisfaction and system performance. The firm surveys franchise owners directly and evaluates results using standardized benchmarks to ensure credibility and comparability across brands.

Lil’ Kickers Inc. was one of more than 330 franchise brands representing over 26,000 franchise owners that participated in Franchise Business Review’s 2026 research. Franchisees evaluated their experience across 33 core benchmarks, including training and support, operations, franchisor-franchisee relations, leadership, culture, and financial opportunity.

• Key findings from Lil’ Kickers’ franchisee survey:
  • 90% would recommend Lil’ Kickers overall
  • 90% rated the organization highly for honesty and integrity
  • 89% said Lil’ Kickers cares about their success
  • 90% said they enjoy being part of the organization

“Franchisee satisfaction is one of the most reliable indicators of long-term franchise performance,” said Michelle Rowan, president of Franchise Business Review. “This year’s Top Franchise winners significantly outperformed industry averages, demonstrating strength in the areas that matter most to franchise owners: leadership, support, innovation, culture, and financial opportunity. These brands are not just growing, they are building healthy, resilient systems.”

“Feedback from our Franchisees is important for us at Lil’ Kickers Inc.  We value our partnership with them and would not be able to live out our mission without them,” said Ty Redinger, president of Lil’ Kickers Inc.  “For over two decades, we have continually collaborated with each franchisee to problem-solve, strategize, and help them grow their business.  It was great to get their feedback through Franchise Business Review, so that we can act on it and continuously improve our support, marketing, and operations for their benefit. As a result of our partnership with franchisees and their valuable responses, it is an honor to be recognized by Franchise Business Review as a Top 200 Franchise.”

About Lil’ Kickers

Lil’ Kickers is a nationwide soccer program for kids ages 18 months to 9 years old. With more than 130 locations across the U.S. and Canada, the program has been a source of fun and individual growth for more than 2,800,000 Lil’ Kickers’ participants over the past 26 years. The mission of Lil’ Kickers is to inspire — equipping children with essential life skills to succeed both on and off the pitch. In addition to Lil’ Kickers Classes, we also offer Skills Institute soccer classes for kids ages 5-12, Lil’ Kickers’ birthday parties, and more. For more information, visit www.lilkickersfranchise.com.

About Franchise Business Review

Franchise Business Review is a leading market research firm serving the franchise industry. The company conducts independent surveys measuring franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement and publishes guides and reports for entrepreneurs evaluating franchise ownership. Since 2005, Franchise Business Review has surveyed hundreds of thousands of franchise owners across more than 1,300 franchise brands. Its research and reports are available free to the public at https://www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com.

Media Contacts

Lil’ Kickers Inc.
Monica Shumate
Director of Marketing
monica@lilkickers.com

Franchise Business Review
Mariah Morgan
VP of Marketing
mariah@franchisebusinessreview.com