She Could Have Gone It Alone. She Had 18 Years of Experience — and Still Chose the Franchise.

Luna started playing basketball at three and a half years old. Her parents didn’t give her a choice.

By 18, she had nearly two decades on the court. She had coached. She knew the game inside out.

She could have launched her own basketball academy. She had everything she needed to do it.

Instead, she bought a Little Boomers Basketball franchise at 18, in her first year of university.

Today she runs six booked-out Saturday classes in Parramatta, has 150 kids on her books, and says she will never look back.

The Before

Basketball was not Luna’s idea. Her parents put her on the court at three and a half. She never stepped off.

By her teenage years she was coaching. By 18, she had more time on the court than most adults who consider this franchise.

She was not looking for a way out. She knew exactly what she was good at — and she had a clear picture of what building a business from zero would actually take.

The Discovery

Before buying her territory, Luna had worked as a coach inside Little Boomers Basketball.

That is how she got her look at what was really going on behind the scenes.

“When I was working there, I saw how the class was running. The program was already structured. The back end was already structured. The website.”

She was not reading a brochure. She was watching the system work in real time.

That clarity made the decision straightforward. Even at 18.

The Turning Point

Luna was one of the first five franchisees in the Little Boomers Basketball network. First year of university. Still working out her life, in her own words.

And she made a call most people twice her age are still wrestling with.

“With over 18 years of basketball experience, I could have easily started my own basketball business,” she says. “But I chose to go with Little Boomers Basketball.”

She explains why directly.

“Starting from scratch is quite scary. You don’t really have the clientele, you don’t have the website, you don’t have anything. You’re genuinely starting from zero. With the Little Boomers franchise, the name was already there, the brand was there, the program was there, and the clients were already there.”

She didn’t choose a franchise because she lacked confidence.

She chose it because she understood the value of not reinventing what already worked.

If you’re weighing up the pros and cons of buying a franchise versus starting from scratch, check Franchise vs Starting From Scratch (Most People Get This Wrong) for a deeper look at why this decision can make all the difference.

Now, years later: “We’ve got six booked out classes on a Saturday. So I’ll never look back.”

How Luna Runs It

Luna does not do this alone.

Her mum handles all the admin at the front — signing kids in, managing the table, keeping things moving.

Her brother George coaches alongside her, trained through the system at the Ripple Centre.

What started as Luna and one other coach has become a genuine family operation.

“It’s really hard to do it by yourself,” she says. “Having someone else with you is awesome. And with your family — nothing better. You’re working with your family all day. Builds stronger connections with your family.”

That pattern runs throughout the Little Boomers Basketball network.

The strongest territories are not built by one person doing everything.

They are built by small teams, often couples or families, with each person playing their part.

Read From Corporate Leadership to Kids Basketball Franchise Owner to see how one franchisee made the transition and built a successful business.

Luna has also built something beyond the Saturday roster.

Coach Jess and Coach Mark came in shy. Barely willing to use a whistle. Now they run their own classes while Luna’s back is turned.

“My back’s to them and I trust they’re running their classes perfectly fine. That’s an accomplishment as well.”

Building a team that can operate without you standing over it is what separates a job from something you actually own.

What She Knows Now

Luna does all of this alongside full-time university. Fourth year. The flexibility she talks about is real.

“You choose your hours. You choose when you want to work, when you want to shut off work. When I’m not at class, I choose hours during the week when I want to answer emails, take phone calls — but I also have time to just relax. Because you do need that break between work and life balance.”

There is something else she comes back to that is harder to quantify.

She started basketball at three. She cannot remember those early years. But standing on the court now, watching a three-year-old grab the ball, run with it, launch it underarm — she recognises something.

“I love that I can see the kids starting at three years old and seeing the passion that grows in them — because I’m sure I had the same passion.”

Watching a child go from barely coordinated to genuinely confident — from nervous to running drills with a grin — that is the part that keeps franchisees in this for years.

It is not just the income. It is work that means something every single week.

Common Mistakes People Make

“Thinking You Need a Basketball Background”

Luna had never run a basketball business before. The coaching side is supported by the system and qualified coaches. Your role is building relationships and growing the territory.

“Assuming You Need More Life Experience First”

Luna joined in her first year of university at 18 years old. You do not need decades of business experience to get started if you are willing to learn and follow the system.

“Trying to Do Everything Yourself”

Luna’s mum and brother became key parts of the operation. The most successful franchisees build support around them rather than carrying every responsibility alone.

“Underestimating What It Takes to Build From Scratch”

Creating a brand, website, program, systems, and customer base can take years. The franchise gives you a proven foundation from day one.

“Assuming the Business Won’t Fit Around Your Life”

The model is designed to be flexible. Franchisees have control over their schedules and can build the business around study, work, family, and other commitments.

“Waiting for the Perfect Time”

Luna started while still figuring out her future. Most people never feel completely ready. Progress usually comes from taking action before everything feels perfect.

“Not Speaking to Existing Franchisees First”

One of the best ways to understand the opportunity is by talking to people already running territories. Luna saw the business from the inside before becoming a franchisee, and that perspective made a difference.

Key Takeaways

• Choosing a proven system is not settling. It is understanding the real cost of starting from nothing.
• Family involvement makes the business stronger and more sustainable. A parent, sibling, or partner who owns one part of the operation is enough.
• Flexibility is real. You set your schedule. Admin happens when it suits you. There is room for life alongside it.
• The work carries meaning that stays with you. Watching kids grow in confidence term after term is a different kind of reward.
• Building a team creates leverage. When coaches can run classes on their own, you move from operator to owner.
• You do not need to be at a specific stage of life or career. What you need is the right values and a genuine care for the families you serve.
• The brand, program, and initial client base come with the franchise. You are not starting at zero.

FAQ: Common Questions People Ask

1. Do you need a basketball background to run this?

No. Luna had an unusually deep background — 18 years — but most franchisees come from corporate, healthcare, education, and community roles. The coaches handle the coaching. What matters is your ability to run a business and your care for the families you serve.

2. Can this work around a full-time job or study?

Luna ran her territory through four years of full-time university. The scheduling is flexible because you control your class timetable. Most franchisees run their heaviest sessions on Saturday mornings, with admin spread across the week in the hours that suit them.

3. Do I need a partner or co-operator to make this work?

Not formally. Luna’s operation grew to include her mum and brother, but that happened naturally over time. Many franchisees start with external coaches and build from there. The key is not trying to do every role yourself from day one.

4. What if we have never owned a business before?

The system is designed for first-timers. The program, the backend, the brand, and the processes are already documented. Your job is to run them well and build relationships in your local community — not to figure everything out from scratch.

5. What does a typical week look like?

Saturday mornings are the main event — classes, setup, coaching. During the week, Luna answers emails and takes calls in hours she chooses. She also protects time to switch off. It is a real business. But a flexible one.

Keen to Learn More?

If you want to understand how a Little Boomers Basketball franchise works before taking any formal steps, Emile covers the model in detail on his YouTube channel — including real conversations with franchisees at different stages of the journey. It is a good way to get a feel for the culture before you commit to anything.

If Luna’s story sounds like something you and your family have been quietly thinking about — building something real, with people you trust, around work that actually means something — a free Discovery Call with Emile is the best next step.

No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest conversation to see if this fits your life.