Kids' football training in Co. Clare
Weekly coached sessions in Ennis, plus structured practice at home every other day — the 6+1 model.
PlayerBuilder runs year-round soccer training for ages 7–13 alongside club football, not instead of it. No trials, ever. Just touches, decisions, courage, and habits — trained deliberately and measured honestly.
Spark — ages 7–9
Spark is where the love of the ball gets built. Fun-first sessions where every child has a ball at their feet almost constantly — movement skills, ball confidence, and the first taste of trying things without fear of getting it wrong.
- ▶ Games, not drills. At this age the session should look like play — the learning is hidden inside.
- ▶ Maximum touches. Small groups, a ball each, no queues. Skill at 7–9 is built by volume, not instruction.
- ▶ Courage from day one. Trying a move and losing the ball earns praise here. That habit, set early, is worth more than any technique.
Forge — ages 10–13
Forge is the flagship: 8-week training blocks built on the 6+1 model — one coached group session per week in Ennis, plus six days of short, structured, app-guided practice at home. Because one hour a week doesn't build a player. The week does.
- ▶ Weekly coached session. Technique under pressure, 1v1s, decision-making, and small-sided games — with coaches who correct by name.
- ▶ Daily practice in the app. Short, focused sessions for the other six days — ball mastery, weak foot, physical foundations — building the habit that separates players.
- ▶ Measured development. Every player is assessed at the start and end of a block with our Football Quotient framework — technical quality, physical capacity, game confidence. Improvement you can see, not just attendance.
- ▶ Behaviour is coached too. Courage, focus, and resilience are treated as skills — trained and practised like a first touch, not left to chance.
Who's coaching your child
Declan Farmer
Director of Football & Co-Founder
Declan's coaching is built on what separates players who progress from those who plateau — rarely skill, usually mindset, decision-making under pressure, and resilience when things go wrong.
Anton Mannering
Director of Performance Science & Co-Founder
Anton leads the measurement side — the Football Quotient framework that tracks each player's actual development across technique, physical capacity, and game confidence.
How much does football coaching cost in Ireland?
Straight numbers, because nobody else gives them: private 1-to-1 football coaching in Ireland typically runs €30–€60 per hour — more for the academy badge.
A PlayerBuilder training block starts from €169 for 8 weeks — a coached group session every week plus the daily app programme in between. Camps start from €89. Current prices are always on the register page.
The difference isn't just the price — it's what the money buys. Development at this age runs on daily volume, not a weekly appointment. We built the model around the whole week for exactly that reason.
Questions parents ask
Do you run trials?
No. There are no trials and no selection at PlayerBuilder — any player in the age group who wants to improve can join. We don't pick players. We build them.
My child has never played for a club. Can they join?
Yes. Any level is welcome. Sessions are designed with challenge levels so each player works at their own edge, whether they play club football or have never trained formally.
Is this soccer or GAA training?
Soccer — association football. Many of our players also play GAA and hurling, and we encourage it: the movement skills transfer both ways.
Where exactly do you train?
Sessions run at Ennis National School, Ennis, Co. Clare — players travel to us from across the county. School-holiday camps run at the same venue: see football camps in Ennis.