Mustang Cheer’s Abby Ruth on Building Up Athletes and Their Self-Confidence

This article is part of a promoted series and not produced by the editorial staff.

This article is promoted/partner content and not produced by the editorial staff.

ESTABLISHED BY: ABBY RUTH

MISSION: A Dallas cheerleading gym that fosters young athletes and builds their self-confidence.

What inspired you to make your vision a reality.
Abby Ruth: Cheerleading has had a huge impact on my life, from forming lifelong friendships to learning a lot about myself. When my daughter took an interest in cheer, I was excited about an idea to bring the best-quality cheerleading with the most qualified and talented coaches to our area. Also, we are working with a generation that has the highest anxiety rates in history and more self and social pressures than we have ever seen in kids. I wanted to use this special platform of cheerleading not only to train athletes but also to develop qualities such as self-confidence, positive body image, and leadership that will last long after the skills.

Your proudest accomplishments as an entrepreneur.
AR: I’m most proud of having the opportunity to work alongside some of the biggest names in the industry who share a passion for making a difference in the lives of the athletes that we train. Dallas has been growing so much; this feels like a pivotal moment in the city.

What makes you excited to lead your business here.
AR: Dallas is a trend-setting city, and we like to think of ourselves as a trendsetting cheer gym! Our goal at Mustang Cheer is to introduce Dallas to a completely different approach to cheer training, from our leadership curriculum to our body-positive practice wear to our encouraging style of coaching.

What you hope to accomplish in the future.
AR: In the immediate future, my team and I are laser-focused on making our class and team experiences meaningful and fun. This fall, we will open Mustang 3.0, our second expansion of the gym since our August 2019 opening, which will bring us to almost 20,000 square feet of training space. Thoughtfully and cautiously growing without compromising our athletes’ experience or our core values is our greatest focus for the near future.

Describe your typical day.
AR: My day is anything but typical! I arrive at Mustang before our pre-k morning classes begin. After we kick off classes for the day, I meet with my administrative team to make sure we’re ready for the day and week. Then my days take on a life of their own.

Your go-to Dallas restaurant.
AR: Date night at Homewood and brunch at Origin.

Your favorite Dallas cocktail.
AR: The Emerson at Georgie by Curtis Stone.