How to Get Your First 10 Coaching Clients (From Scratch)

You don’t need a huge following to get your first coaching clients.

You need a simple plan, a clear offer, and a way to talk to real people (parents, athletes, adult clients) every week—without feeling weird or salesy.

Most coaches get stuck because they try to “market” before they’re ready. They build a logo, post random drills, and wait. Then nothing happens… and they think they’re not good enough.

You are good enough. You just need a system for how to get coaching clients from scratch—starting with your first coaching clients, then building a real starting coaching client base you can grow.

And yes, the admin side matters too. If you’re juggling texts, Venmo, and a messy calendar, it’s hard to look professional. Platforms like AthleteCollective handle your scheduling, payments, and client management so you can focus on what you do best—coaching.

How to get coaching clients: the simple truth about your first 10

Your first 10 clients almost never come from strangers on the internet.

They come from:

People who already know you (or know someone who knows you)
Places where athletes already train (fields, gyms, rec leagues, schools)
One clear result you help people get

Here’s the mindset shift:

You’re not trying to “build a brand.” You’re trying to solve one problem for one type of athlete.

Examples of “one problem” offers that sell fast:

“Ball-handling + finishing for middle school guards who can’t beat pressure”
“Hitting lessons for 10–12U kids who are late on fast pitching”
“Speed + agility for soccer players who feel slow in the first 5 yards”
“Strength training for teen athletes who need to get stronger safely”
“Adult fat loss + strength for busy parents who can only train 2x/week”

If your offer is clear, getting new trainer clients becomes a lot easier.

Starting coaching client base: what you need before you start asking

Before you go looking for clients, set up the basics so you don’t lose people after they say “yes.”

A clear offer (say it in one sentence)

Use this template:

I help (who) get (result) in (timeframe) using (method) without (pain point).

Example: “I help middle school basketball players improve ball handling and finishing in 6 weeks using game-speed reps without wasting time on fancy drills.”

A simple price (keep it clean)

Don’t overthink it. Pick one of these to start:

Private: $60–$90 per hour (many markets), or $40–$60 if you’re brand new and need reps
Semi-private (2–4 athletes): $30–$45 per athlete per hour
Small group (6–10 athletes): $20–$30 per athlete per hour

If you want help dialing this in, use our pricing guide by sport and market and our breakdown on packages that sell.

A place to train (and a backup plan)

Options:

Public field/court (check rules)
Rent gym space by the hour
Partner with a local facility (rev share or flat fee)
In-home training (adult clients)
Online sessions for form checks or programming

Basic safety + trust (especially for youth)

If you work with minors, parents care about trust more than your highlight reel.

At minimum, seriously consider:

Background check (many parents will ask)
Liability insurance
A waiver
Clear rules for communication and supervision

Helpful reads:

How to get your first coaching clients using the “10 conversations a week” rule

If you want your first 10 clients, aim for 10 real conversations per week with the right people.

Not Instagram likes. Not “views.” Conversations.

A “conversation” is:

A DM where you ask a question and they reply
A quick chat after practice
A phone call with a parent
A text thread that ends with “what days are you available?”

If you do 10 conversations a week for 4 weeks, you’ll usually land 5–15 paying clients—if your offer is clear.

Where to get those 10 conversations (fast)

Here are the best places to start:

Your current network (the easiest first coaching clients)

Make a list of 30 people:

Parents from teams you’ve coached
Former athletes
Fellow coaches
Teachers, athletic trainers, gym staff
Friends who have kids in sports

Send 10 messages a day for 3 days.

Keep it simple:

“Hey [Name]—quick question. I’m opening a few training spots for [who you help]. Do you know 1–2 athletes who want help with [problem] before [season/tryouts]?”

This works because you’re not begging. You’re asking for referrals.

One local “hub” (the best starting coaching client base builder)

Pick ONE hub for 30 days:

One middle school program
One rec league
One travel organization
One local gym

Show up. Be helpful. Don’t pitch right away.

After you’ve built a little trust, say:

“If any parents ask about extra work, I’m running a small group on Tuesdays for [specific need]. Want me to send details?”

One online channel (don’t try to be everywhere)

Choose one:

Facebook community groups (parents live there)
Instagram (if you can post 3x/week consistently)
Nextdoor (great for local adult clients)
Google Business Profile (huge long-term win)

If you’re brand new, read our no-BS digital marketing guide for coaches.

Practical numbers: what it takes to land 10 clients (real math)

Let’s make this concrete.

Example 1: Youth sports coach starting from zero

Offer: 6-week package, 1x/week, $300 total
Goal: 10 clients

You need to sell 10 packages = $3,000 revenue over 6 weeks.

Conversion math (typical for warm leads):

40 conversations → 20 interested → 12 show up to a trial → 10 buy

That’s why the “10 conversations/week” rule works.

Example 2: Personal trainer trying to get new trainer clients (adult clients)

Offer: 12 sessions over 6 weeks, $720 ($60/session)
Goal: 10 clients

That’s $7,200 booked.

Adult clients often need more trust first, so your funnel may look like:

60 conversations → 25 consults → 15 first sessions → 10 buy a pack

The key: you can’t skip the consult step. Adults want to talk it out.

Example 3: Semi-private groups (faster growth, less burnout)

Offer: 2 athletes per hour, $40 each
You run 6 sessions/week

Revenue:

$80/hour x 6 = $480/week
Over 8 weeks = $3,840

And you only need 12 athletes to fill those 6 sessions (2 per slot). That’s a clean way to build a starting coaching client base without living at the gym.

If you want to go deeper on this model, check our guide on running group training sessions and charging more per hour.

How to get coaching clients with a “starter offer” that doesn’t feel cheap

A lot of coaches hear “intro offer” and think “discount.”

You don’t need to discount. You need to reduce risk.

Here are starter offers that work:

A paid “evaluation” session

45–60 minutes
$25–$75 depending on your market
Includes a plan: “Here’s what we’ll fix in 6 weeks.”

Parents love this because it feels professional.

A 2-week jumpstart pack

Example:

3 sessions in 14 days
$150 total
At the end, you pitch the 6-week plan

A small group “clinic”

Example:

Saturday clinic, 90 minutes
$35 per athlete
12 athletes = $420 for one event

Then you invite the most serious kids into ongoing training.

The admin trap: don’t lose clients because you’re disorganized

You can be a great coach and still lose clients if scheduling and payments are a mess.

Parents want:

Clear times
Easy booking
Easy payment
Fast communication

Instead of juggling Venmo, texts, and spreadsheets, AthleteCollective lets parents book and pay online while you manage everything from one dashboard. That one change alone can help you keep clients once you get them—because you look legit from day one.

If you’re building your system now, our guide on setting up a booking and scheduling system is a solid starting point.

Second scenario: how to get your first coaching clients when you don’t have a local network

Not everyone has a team, a school, or a big contact list. Maybe you just moved. Maybe you’re switching from college strength coach to private training. Maybe you’re starting online.

Here’s a different path that still works.

Build proof fast with 3 “beta clients”

Find 3 people who fit your niche and offer a short beta program:

4 weeks
Clear goal (speed, strength, confidence, mechanics)
You charge something (even $100–$200) so they take it seriously

In exchange, you ask for:

A written testimonial
Permission to share progress (no faces if they prefer)
A referral if they loved it

Now you’re not “new.” You have receipts.

Partner instead of competing

Make a list of 10 local businesses that serve the same families:

Physical therapy clinics
Baseball/softball facilities
Soccer clubs
Dance studios
CrossFit gyms (many have youth programs)
Sports performance gyms

Send this:

“Hey [Name], I coach [type of athlete]. If you ever have a kid who needs [your specialty], I’d love to be a trusted referral. I’m also happy to send athletes your way when they need [their service].”

This is slow at first, but it builds a pipeline.

Use one “search” channel: Google

Set up:

Google Business Profile
5 photos
A short service list
Ask every happy parent for a review

Google is boring, but it’s how parents search when they’re serious.

Common mistakes when trying to get first coaching clients

Trying to sell to everyone

“Speed and agility for all athletes” is too wide.

Pick a lane for 30 days:

One age group
One sport
One main problem

Posting drills instead of outcomes

Parents don’t buy drills. They buy results.

Better posts:

“3 fixes for kids who miss layups under pressure”
“How we add 2 inches to a vertical safely (and what we don’t do)”
“What parents should know about strength training for 12–14 year olds”

If you need help with what parents care about, read what parents actually look for when hiring a private coach.

Waiting until you feel “ready”

You don’t need the perfect logo. You need reps coaching and reps talking to people.

No policies (cancellations will crush you)

If you don’t set rules, you’ll lose money and burn out.

Use a simple cancellation policy and send it before the first session. Here’s a free cancellation policy template.

Undercharging and over-delivering

Cheap clients are often the hardest clients.

Charge a fair price, coach your tail off during the session, and keep the rest simple.

How to get coaching clients: a simple weekly plan you can follow

Here’s a “do this every week” plan that works for most coaches.

### Your weekly client-getting routine (60–90 minutes/day)

Monday

Post one clear offer (who it’s for + what you fix + how to start)
Message 10 people from your network

Tuesday

Talk to 2 coaches or parents in person (practice, gym, school)
Invite 2 athletes to a paid evaluation

Wednesday

Post one short win (testimonial, progress, lesson learned)
Message 10 more people

Thursday

Follow up with anyone who showed interest
Fill next week’s schedule

Friday

Ask 2 current clients for referrals (script below)
Confirm weekend sessions

Saturday

Run sessions or a small clinic
Take 2 photos (with permission)

Sunday

Plan your 3 posts for the week
Clean up your schedule and payments

Referral ask script:

“Hey [Name], quick favor—do you know one athlete who would love training like this? I’m opening two spots next week.”

Make it easy to say yes

When someone is interested, don’t send a novel.

Send:

2–3 available times
Price
How to book/pay

This is where having a real system matters. Set up your business on AthleteCollective to handle the admin side from day one, so parents can book and pay without a long back-and-forth.

If you want to improve your “first impression,” also tighten up your bio. Here’s our guide to writing a coaching bio that converts parents.

Key takeaways (Bottom Line)

Your first coaching clients will come from conversations, not followers.
Do 10 real conversations a week for 4 weeks and you’ll usually find your first 10.
Get clear on who you help and what problem you fix. Simple sells.
Use starter offers that reduce risk (evaluation, jumpstart pack, clinic) without racing to the bottom on price.
Don’t lose clients to chaos—tight scheduling, payments, and policies keep your starting coaching client base growing.
If you want new trainer clients faster, show proof, ask for referrals, and follow up like a pro.