Our story

In 2002, Christine, a mum in London (UK), was looking for an organised activity for her 2 year old son to take part in. Her son loved kicking a ball around - as most children do - but the cold wintery weather in London didn’t allow for lots of play outside. Chris searched high and low for football (or known as ‘soccer’ to some) sessions for pre-schoolers but the only classes on offer were for school aged children. 

So Chris decided to start something new that has turned into something BIG!

‘Little Kickers’ was created in conjunction with UK FA (Football Association) qualified coaches and early childhood educators to create age-appropriate football sessions for pre-schoolers aged 18 months to 5 years that are not only fun but educational as well.

In 2009 Yvette and her husband Michael started Little Kickers in New Zealand and successfully established franchisees in Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Canterbury. In 2016, Rohit my husband and I (Alefiah) were fortunate to take over from Yvette and Michael. I have been in the early childhood sector for nearly 10 years and Rohit has a strong background in business and legal knowledge. We have two wonderful boys because of whom we were introduced to Little Kickers. It has been an amazing learning experience for both of us and we are proud to be part of such an amazing and collaborative global team.  We both love sports and understand the importance it plays in a child’s life - not only for fitness but for many other invaluable life skills such as team work, listening, sharing and taking turns. We continue to be amazed at the development of the kiwi kids who enjoy our classes.


Football continues to be the most popular sport played at primary school in New Zealand and we can’t wait to introduce your children to the ‘beautiful game’. Maybe your little one will also make it to the World Cup – and not just as a supporter! 

With a network of 2,250 coaches and over 300 franchises in 32 countries, Little Kickers is now the world’s biggest and most successful pre-school football academy and there’s plenty more to come. We’re constantly enhancing our classes with the help of our experts and we’re always happy to hear from people who want to become a franchisee and experience a better work/life balance while running a successful business.

So, welcome to Little Kickers New Zealand! We’re a friendly bunch and know your children will enjoy the fun sessions as much as we enjoy taking them.