The Starz Program Franchise

The Starz Program grew from founder Sophia Wastler’s experience as a middle-school health and physical education teacher in Virginia Beach. In her published account, she noticed differences in the confidence and participation of children with and without a foundation in recreational activities. A later experience helping a young child learn a sports skill prompted her interest in introducing those fundamentals earlier through small-group instruction.

The franchise website dates that inspiration to 2004, while the consumer company history lists Starz as founded in 2005. The program launched in Hampton Roads and later expanded to Richmond. By December 2018, the company was describing Starz as a franchise opportunity and announced that it had received Richmond’s rvAwesome Founder of the Year award. These milestones trace the development from a local teaching concept into a franchise offering.

The curriculum has continued to evolve. The brand identifies spring 2023 as the introduction of Enriched Flow, a program combining yoga, creative movement and mindfulness through guided stories. Its current offering spans several activities rather than a single sport or dance discipline. Wastler remains identified as founder, supported by a corporate team with roles in franchise operations, curriculum, compliance, communications and marketing.

Starz’s franchise FAQ describes required initial training for new owners in both online and in-person formats. Topics include business launch, classroom delivery and curriculum, marketing, school partnerships, recruiting and developing a team, and using the business’s administrative systems. Owners also receive an operating manual and access to online training. The published materials do not specify a fixed course duration, training location or travel-expense allowance.

After onboarding, the franchise website advertises continuing training, marketing materials, supplies and access to online systems. Its corporate team includes dedicated operations and compliance support, while curriculum development remains an active responsibility within the organization. These resources support the owner’s work with schools and instructors as classes begin and the local business develops.

The brand’s recent owner guidance makes the local responsibilities explicit: owners establish school and community relationships, recruit and schedule instructors, promote enrollment, and manage communications and day-to-day operations. Shared curriculum and support provide a starting framework; dependable local delivery still requires the owner’s attention to the team, partner facilities and participating families.

Starz’s distinctive feature is the breadth of activities available through one school relationship. A partner that already offers one activity may still have room for another, allowing the owner to discuss dance, sports, cheer or movement programming around that school’s needs. Delivering classes on-site also reduces the need for families to make an additional trip to a separate studio.

The business is a strong fit for someone who enjoys connecting with school leaders and building a reliable teaching team. The owner’s opportunity is to turn those relationships into well-organized programs that families find convenient and children enjoy attending. A varied curriculum provides choices for different interests, while the school-based format keeps the business connected to its local community. Buyers who value relationship-building, clear communication and consistent service have concrete ways to apply those strengths in this model.

For questions about local demand, staffing, program requirements and working capital, use our children’s franchise buyer guide alongside the documents for this opportunity.