CoachIQ Podcast Ep: 07 | How to Run a $100K+ Sports Coaching Business

Описание: In this episode of The CoachIQ Podcast, host Mitchell sits down with Russell Reeder, co-founder of CoachIQ, to break down the exact blueprint for building a six-figure sports coaching business—and why most trainers fail before they even get started.

Russell has worked with over 5,000 trainers and currently powers about 1,000+ coaching businesses across the nation. He's seen the patterns: coaches stuck at 50 clients with chaotic schedules, trainers charging per session with zero revenue predictability, and talented coaches burning out because their systems are broken. The biggest issue? Most coaches are coaches first, not business owners—struggling with pricing strategy, offer structure, and efficient operations.

They dive deep into the three fundamentals every successful sports coaching business needs: smart pricing (monthly commitments over per-session chaos), systematic operations (automation that gives you 10+ hours back per week), and consistent client acquisition (referrals, local ads, and camps that actually convert). Mitchell shares his own transformation from chasing eight payments per session across seven-day weeks to implementing a clean membership model that scaled his business. Russell breaks down why the private sports coach represents the future of athlete development—offering low-pressure environments focused on the individual, not just team performance.

They explore the broken ecosystem of youth sports in America (AAU burnout, high school politics, parent exhaustion), compare it to the European club model, and explain why investing in a quality private facility with a great mentor is the smartest allocation of a parent's $200-300/month training budget. Russell also reveals why parents spend $30 billion annually on youth sports regardless of economic downturns, and why private trainers are becoming the trusted advisors for everything from injury navigation to NIL deals.

If you're a sports coach, personal trainer, or facility owner looking to build a sustainable business that serves athletes well while actually making money, this episode is your playbook for getting the fundamentals right.

Follow @coachiq.io for more conversations that elevate the game. Learn more about CoachIQ's all-in-one coaching management platform at coachiq.io.

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Timestamps
00:18 Intro: Mitchell welcomes Russell Reeder, co-founder of CoachIQ
00:43 What is CoachIQ and who do they serve?
01:31 Russell's athletic background: Former college football player
02:15 Where do most private sports coaches go wrong?
03:48 Mitchell's perspective: Why trainers burn out by year 2-3
04:40 The broken system: Chasing payments and losing focus on athletes
06:21 How cleaning up operations improves the athlete experience
07:07 The youth sports ecosystem: AAU, high school, travel teams explained
08:08 Mitchell's journey: Fifth grade to professional basketball
09:46 The performance-driven pressure vs. development-focused training
10:25 CoachIQ Sponsor Break (Russell explains the platform)
12:16 Is the youth sports ecosystem getting worse?
14:16 The private sports coach as the European model alternative
15:24 From a parent's perspective: Where to invest your dollars
16:38 Why private trainers focus on the human, not just the team goals
17:22 Russell's big bet: The private facility as the future of youth sports
19:30 How a great private coach helps parents avoid expensive mistakes
20:10 99% of high school athletes don't play in college—make it enjoyable
21:35 How much are parents actually spending on private trainers?
22:40 $30 billion annual spend on youth sports (recession-proof)
23:10 $200-300/month membership model at private facilities
24:21 The exhausted parent problem: Seven practices, flights, hotels
24:48 CoachIQ's mission: Capitalize on the private facility trend
26:42 Why it's always new parents navigating a confusing system
27:49 The epidemic: Nine games in three days, kids in the tornado
28:22 Private trainers as the safe space for NIL deals and transfer portal decisions
29:20 Where can people reach Russell and learn more about CoachIQ?
30:06 Mitchell's endorsement: The demo is valuable even if you don't sign up
30:28 Closing: Running it back in the future