When families first visit KidStrong, they often say they were drawn to the business—which was founded in 2015—because of marketing videos showing kids flipping tires or pushing sleds but quite often return visits are due to non-physical growth development.

“They stay for the social and emotional [benefits]. They stay for the public speaking,” said Courtney Moscovic, KidStrong vice president of marketing. “They stay because they learn how to order their own food at a restaurant. They stay because they've learned how to introduce themselves.”

The set up

KidStrong offers classes for children from early walkers up to 11 years old. Classes, which are 45 minutes long, follow a routine featuring character, cognitive and physical development and are taught by certified KidStrong coaches, Kidstrong Regional Director Ryan Schwartz said.

Classes always include a social greeting, where kids learn how to introduce themselves, give a firm handshake and make eye contact.


“Class is very structured ... there are eight distinct blocks we go through,” Schwartz said. “We do it around active play with fun, fast-paced games.”

The KidStrong programming team provides new age-specific programs every three weeks.

“An example is public speaking—we’ll work on a child’s public speaking skills over a three-week cycle and celebrate everything they do at the end knowing how big these skills are,” Schwartz said.

Classes for children four years old and younger include participation by one parent whereas children are more independent for the older children classes.


“For the littles, a front roll would be very basic—standing on top of one of our wedges and learning to reach for the ceiling, touch their toes ... then feel what a roll is,” Schwartz said. “For our bigger kids, it could be standing behind a wedge and learning how to jump into a front roll. Everybody is learning the same basic skill of development, but at the stage that's appropriate for their age.”

The background

KidStrong, which is headquartered in Frisco, was founded by married couple Matt and Megin Sharp. Lincoln Brown and Megan Stein are co-founders.

The Sharps owned a crossfit gym in Lexington, Kentucky where they developed active play and developmental tools for children in an open space they had at their gym.


“They wanted something more for their daughter and found this could be bigger than that,” said Kerri Keaton, KidStrong vice president of new center openings. “They started reaching kids and parents who wanted what we think of as ‘kids winning at life.’”

The first KidStrong, which is still open today, opened in 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky. The Sharps moved to Frisco because they saw the city as one of the fastest growing and family-centered cities in the nation. In 2018, they opened the first standalone KidStrong in downtown Frisco, which has since closed. In 2023, a corporately owned KidStrong was opened in west Frisco. There are currently eight corporate locations—seven in DFW and one in Lexington. A ninth is slated to open in 2025 in Denton. Across the nation and Canada,148 franchises are open.

Quote of note

Recited at the beginning of every class, and incorporated into company branding, is the KidStrong affirmation: ‘I am strong. I am brave. I can do this.’ Schwartz said the Sharps instilled this concept into their daughter and used it as a cornerstone when starting the business.


“It’s amazing when you see kids [outside of KidStrong] reciting it the first time they go down the tallest slide,” Schwartz said. “That is their boost in self-confidence that they can do it.”