By: Rena Marie Ducay
The Denver Gazette newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
American parents are more anxious than ever about their children’s development, and the sports industry is capitalizing on it by encouraging kids to specialize in a sport earlier than ever before. And yet, tucked inside Denver’s neighborhoods, a boutique gymnastics studio is quietly doing something radical: letting kids just be kids.
Ta Da Gymnastics, founded in 2017 by Erin McDonald, is not your typical gymnastics gym. There are no trophies on the wall, no teams warming up at dawn, and no parents anxiously watching from the sidelines while their child practices for hours. What there is, however, is priceless in today’s youth sports culture: joy.
A Place For Children To Discover Their Passion
Erin knows the other side of gymnastics intimately. She grew up inside it. Thirty hours a week in a competitive gym, the kind of schedule that turns a childhood passion into a second job. The sport gave Erin so much, but it also required countless sacrifices—missed moments, sleepovers, and time with friends. When her own daughter was born, Erin faced the classic parental crossroads: lead your child to love what you love or give your child the opportunity to discover their own passion.
Erin chose both. “Gymnastics gave me so much—it taught me persistence, resilience, and that it’s okay to fail, make mistakes, and keep going. I wanted my daughter to experience that while still having the chance to explore different activities and discover her own passion.” Erin said. That perspective, grounded in positively impacting children and communities, became the guiding philosophy behind Ta Da Gymnastics.
The Most Important Sport Your Child Will Ever Try
The years between 2 and 8 are the golden window for physical literacy. Gymnastics, with its unique nurturing of balance, coordination, spatial awareness, and body control, develops foundational athleticism that makes learning other sports easier. Gymnastics is the athletic equivalent of learning a second language early, with benefits that compound for life.
Erin built her business around these truths, and Ta Da Gymnastics fully leans into early childhood development. Ta Da’s programs span from preschool gymnastics for children as young as 16 months, recreational gymnastics for ages 6 to 12, and its Highlands location has a cheer program.
Ta Da’s classes are not designed to produce Olympians, but to develop a confident, capable, curious child who might grow to love soccer, lacrosse, or, one day, pursue gymnastics further. The rec model, Erin’s phrase for recreational gymnastics, is not a consolation prize. It is the prize.
Growing To Impact More Communities
Ta Da’s first location in the Highlands opened in 2017. Soon after, Highlands families began flocking, and the gym was busy from morning to evening with children exploring, trying new things, and having good old-fashioned fun. Moms and families were thrilled – and they began spreading the word to friends and Facebook community groups.
In a short period of time, it was evident that Ta Da’s founding pillars were resonating. Erin’s model wasn’t just working, it was thriving.
As the gym became a cherished icon within the Highlands community, requests for additional locations began trickling in. Families who moved out of the Highlands contacted Erin, sharing how much they missed Ta Da. Those requests from beloved families helped guide Ta Da’s growth into a second location on South Broadway and a third location in Central Park.
Even with growth, Ta Da’s unique warmth continues to be felt throughout each location. From the bright, inviting spaces to the positive and encouraging coaches who celebrate each child’s small wins, the feeling remains the same.
When you step into a Ta Da gym, you can feel it right away. In fact, you can hear it. The sound of children laughing, playing, and having fun is unmistakable, and parents return week after week to see and hear their child genuinely loving Ta Da.
Each of Ta Da’s three Denver locations is grounded in the same community-first philosophy, creating spaces that are welcoming and full of heart, laughter, and joy.
The Real Trophy Is Confidence
In a culture that often pushes kids to specialize in a sport at a young age, there’s a need for something different—and that’s exactly what Ta Da Gymnastics provides. Erin built a place where the most important skill isn’t a cartwheel or a back handspring. Instead, the real trophy is the belief kids develop knowing they can do hard things. And in 2026, that might just be the most competitive advantage a child can have.