ABOUT
Ruston Athletic opened its 9,600 sq ft store in October 2024.
Ruston Athletic is a subsidiary of Minden Athletic, which has equipped area athletes – from the beginning little league player to the pro – for more than 50 years.
In 1973, Butch and Ki Williams opened a sporting goods store in Minden after Butch saw a need in the community for a store that catered to the athletes in the area.
Butch saw the same need again in Ruston after The Sportsman closed, and dreamed of eventually opening a new store in Lincoln Parish. The timing wasn't right back then but remained a family dream.
Both Butch and Ki had strong ties to the Ruston community, having both graduated from Louisiana Tech. Butch was an offensive tackle at Louisiana Tech under legendary coaches Joe Aillet and Maxie Lambright in the late 1960s. Five generations of the family have attended Louisiana Tech, with two granddaughters currently enrolled at Tech.
That dream began to be realized in 2023 when Butch and Ki's son Chris, the manager of the business after Butch died in 2018, started making plans for a Ruston store. Chris continued to see several Ruston residents driving to Minden for their sporting goods needs.
Ruston Athletic will continue to bring the best and latest in sporting goods to the area.
As a locally-owned, family-owned business, Ruston Athletic specializes in the personalized service you expect in selecting the perfect athletic apparel and shoes for every occasion.
Our Starting Lineup
Owner - Ki Williams
President of Operations - Chris Williams
General Manager - Colby Sherrard
Team Sales - Ken Marks