Before becoming the owner, Stephanie Corcoran used to bring her kids to The Little Gym. “I watched how the program positively impacted my own children, and after three years I decided to buy the business,” Stephanie says. “My shy 5-year-old son gained independence and confidence and grew into a 10-year-old who wasn’t afraid to attend sleepaway camp not knowing anyone. He took risks that challenged him. My 2-year-old daughter gained the courage to try new things in a safe environment and grew into a confident 12-year-old who supported her teammates, had fun and still loves gymnastics.”

Located less than 3 miles from Biltmore Park, The Little Gym is a child development program for children ages 4 months to 12 years, where they can build physical, cognitive and social-emotional skills through gymnastics and dance. Stephanie is going into her 10th year of owning the business, which she considers to be an extension of family and a place that offers acceptance and builds self-esteem.

She builds staff camaraderie through team outings, positive teamwork incentives and fun team meetings. “We support each other in and outside of the gym by attending weddings and celebrating graduations and attending performances,” she says. “We also do our best to support members by building relationships and getting to know their passions. We’ve been known to attend bat mitzvahs and court hearings for adoptions. We all genuinely care for one another and our members, and when you love who you work with and the children you teach daily, it shows.”

The Little Gym offers a noncompetitive program that makes exercise fun. “We believe that there is so much pressure on children today to be the best and sports are so competitive from a very young age. We are the opposite of that,” Stephanie says. “We believe in giving children a solid foundation to explore their environment, take risks in a safe space, try new things without fear of failure, and be supported by what they can do and never belittled for what they can’t,” she says.

Making an impact on the community is one of Stephanie’s main goals for owning The Little Gym. For years now, The Little Gym has partnered with a different local charity each month, giving them exposure and collecting donations. She runs favorite-teacher contests to fulfill teacher wish lists and works with Foster Family Alliance of NC to donate members’ unused classes to foster children so they also can do gymnastics. This year her team is volunteering quarterly at various charities.

“I still love every single day at The Little Gym,” Stephanie says. “Being able to go to work and have fun, and see the smiles on kids’ faces and know we have impacted them in some way is so rewarding! We have seen thousands of kids come through the door and leave changed for the better and set up for success. That I was lucky enough to be part of it all is one of my life’s greatest joys.”

For more information, visit thelittlegym.com.