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  • Dennis McNabb

KidStrong: Helping Kids Win at Life

COVER FEATURE

Photos by Kerry Yu

A Kidstrong coach shakes the hand of a smiling boy who is standing in a row of small children.

Strong body. Strong character. Strong brain. Focusing on all 3 key areas, we help kids win at life!


As parents, we are constantly worried about the quality of the education our children are receiving. We question: Are they learning everything they need to know? Are they being given all of the proper tools necessary for future success? In today’s ever-advancing, social media-driven, hi-tech world, this is a much more complicated endeavor than it was for previous generations. What was adequate for us as kids no longer suffices. Education is no longer simply a matter of academics. Equally important are the disciplines of physical literacy/fitness and strength of character. Comprehensively, it’s about helping kids learn how to win at life! And fortunately for parents in the Portland Metro Area, that’s exactly what KidStrong is all about.

“KidStrong offers so much more than the average programs in the industry,”

A group smiling children with their KidStrong Coach

Scheduled to open its doors in August/September of 2022, our Lake Oswego KidStrong location will most likely be the first of its kind on the West Coast. There are 40 more locations opening across the country in September (although no more are currently planned in Oregon), and another 40 by the end of the year. The results this program has been yielding are so phenomenal that the franchise is currently one of the fastest growing in the country. Owners of the Lake Oswego location, Evan and Vicki Zupancic, couldn’t be more excited to bring this cutting edge curriculum-based program to the Northwest.


“KidStrong offers so much more than the average programs in the industry,” Evan stated. This is not a daycare. It’s not a kid’s gym. It’s a “whole-child” development program and a “milestone accelerator” for kids who are walking-age through 11. The curriculum is based on the latest in developmental science and leverages experts in the fields of pediatric occupational therapy, child development, sports physiology, and physical education. And by focusing equally on aspects of physical, mental, and emotional strength, they are truly training kids to win at life.


Something else unique to KidStrong is how their innovative training is designed to educate parents as much as their children. Some programs provide adequate guidance on site but offer no support once you’ve left the premises. That’s not the case here! Not only are parents encouraged and welcome to participate on site, but they are also provided with tools to assist in the long-term process of empowering their children at home. In addition, members are given access to online experts and training programs for remote learning.


A small boy doing ring pull ups while his KidsStrong coach watches ready to act.

For Evan and Vicki, purchasing the franchise and becoming part of the KidStrong family was an easy decision. It’s a unique and innovative program, developed and staffed by passionate, committed professionals, and mission-driven to create the greatest possible impact on the families and communities they serve. Especially now, as we emerge from the COVID crisis, we are in desperate need of such programs. A recent USA Today news report stated these past 2 years of stress and isolation have negatively affected our children’s development on multiple levels. Evan stressed that KidStrong addresses those problems head-on, and he and his wife are proud to be a part of that movement.


We want our children to be given every opportunity to succeed, and there is no better or more comprehensive program than KidStrong. For more information or inquiries on the program, check out their website at kidstrong.com.


Sign up today and watch your child transform before your eyes. Not only will they be repeating, but they (and you) will be believing KidStrong’s trademarked affirmation:


I am STRONG. I am BRAVE. I can DO THIS!




KidStrong is located at 7 Monroe Parkway in Lake Oswego. Give them a call at

(503) 676-3273, email lakeoswego@kidstrong.com, or visit their website, kidstrong.com/locations/lake-oswego.

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