Ep. 36 USA Ninja Challenge with Dale Grant and Robin Ann
From The Ninjas Way by Ally Johnson, Jake Marshman, Charlie Mitchell
November 25, 2025 · 46 min
About this episode
The episode explores the evolution of USA Ninja Challenge from a small idea to a national movement in youth sports.
From a small idea inside a gymnastics gym… to the largest ninja franchise in the world 🥷🔥 USA Ninja Challenge didn’t begin with a business plan or a corporate strategy. It started with a problem no one in gymnastics could solve: Boys were quitting the sport in huge numbers… and no one knew how to keep them. That single question “How do we keep boys in the gym?” sparked an experiment that reshaped an entire industry. What began as a way to keep kids engaged evolved into a movement one that would grow into USA Ninja Challenge, now the fastest-expanding kids ninja franchise in America. In this episode of The Ninjas Way Podcast, we uncover: How Ninja emerged from inside traditional gymnastics Why the first standalone Ninja gym sold out almost instantly The moment franchising became inevitable How 40+ locations scaled with zero debt And why Ninja is becoming the home for kids who never quite fit traditional sports You’ll hear how the program evolved from a simple set of obstacles… to a full-blown curriculum, level system, skill tracker, and national competitive pipeline.. all built around community, growth, and giving kids a place to belong. This isn’t just a franchise story. It’s…
People in this episode
Hosts: Ally Johnson, Jake Marshman, Charlie Mitchell
Guests: Dale Grant, Robin Ann
Topics covered
- ninja franchise
- youth sports
- entrepreneurship
- business growth
- community building
Keywords
- ninja franchise
- youth engagement
- business strategy
- gymnastics
- community
- franchising
- sports
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: USA Ninja Challenge, gymnastics
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- Ep. 35 F.I.N.A. Federation of International Ninja Athletics · October 28, 2025 · 42 min
- Ep. 34 Jeff Metzger with Small Business Bootcamp · October 4, 2025 · 59 min
- Ep. 33 Julie Gelsinger with Pop and Hold and Ninja Logic · August 30, 2025 · 45 min
- Ep. 33 Mike Cook and UBW · August 9, 2025 · 53 min
- Ep. 32 Reece O'hara and the Ninja Connect Conference · August 2, 2025 · 36 min
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