British sports franchises set to expand into the US after Groe Global takeover | Franchise M&A

British-born twin brothers Frankie and Tommie Hession-Harris parlayed their skills on the pitch into football scholarships at California State University Dominguez Hills. Now, with two franchise concepts, they want to help more young athletes do the same.

Frankie Hession-Harris launched Ballers Elite in 2019 as a ball skills and technical training programme for young footballers aged five to 14. “Our aim is to develop players and their technical skills,” he said, while also incorporating “street football elements” to encourage creativity and problem-solving on the pitch.

Hundreds of kids have gone through the program, “and we’ve developed over 40 of them into professional players at clubs like Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Man City, West Ham United,” Hession-Harris said. Ballers Elite, which now has 11 locations in England and a growing franchise system, is looking to expand its presence in the United States with Player Path, a company created by Tommie Hession-Harris to help players earn U.S. soccer scholarships to colleges and universities.

Groe Global Brands, the investment arm of U.K.-based Groe Global Outsourced Franchise Management, acquired a majority stake in Ballers Elite and Player Path in July, with Groe founder Sean Goldsmith becoming the lead investor. Founded in 2018, Groe Global also owns Skill Samurai, a coding school franchise with 16 locations in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Singapore.

Goldsmith’s international franchising experience spans more than two decades and includes stints at Anytime Fitness UK and as a board member of the British Franchise Association. He said he saw an opportunity to create a pathway for athletes to develop their talent at a young age with Ballers Elite, with some moving straight into professional clubs and others playing in college through the Player Path. Skill Samurai will also play a role.

“We see this opportunity to engage students from different brands in coding education with Skill Samurai as part of the Player Path to develop well-rounded student-athletes,” Goldsmith said.

“We want to instill in kids that education is just as important, if not more important, than football,” said Frankie Hession-Harris.

Tommie Hession-Harris, who played professionally for clubs including Tonbridge Angels and Cheshunt after college, founded Player Path in 2019. Its program includes a tryout day where potential players are assessed for their potential to succeed at college level. For those selected, Player Path creates promotional and highlights videos, as well as an online player profile, and then draws on its database, which includes 99 percent of American college coaches and recruiters.

“Frankie and I were both All-Americans and have strong reputations and relationships with coaches and recruiters,” Tommie Hession-Harris said, noting that Player Path has a 100 percent success rate in landing scholarships and hosts an annual showcase event in England that is attended by many American scouts and coaches and is also broadcast live.

“There’s a huge demand for these services in the States,” Goldsmith said. “The United States is a very important target for franchise expansion, and we also see opportunities in many countries where kids are so disadvantaged but so talented. We want to help give them access and that visibility.”

As for potential franchisees, Goldsmith said several high-profile athletes are interested, with Frankie Hession-Harris noting that he recently signed a franchise deal with Ollie Eagle, a former West Ham United FC player. Former professional footballers, he continued, often face similar challenges after retiring from professional sports in the United States, where many struggle financially and emotionally.

Many professional footballers in the Premier League, where they earn £100,000 a week, will be bankrupt within four years of retiring, Hession-Harris said. He hopes to bring more former players into Ballers Elite and Player Path as franchisees where they can stay involved in the game.