Rebel Athletic wear tumbles into the City for a day of fun

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Those with Rebel Athletic enjoyed a fun day on Cane River Lake Friday, April 21 during their time in Natchitoches. On front row from left are Leauxla of Cane River Paddle and Pedal Sports, Matilyn Selman, Cali Harrison, Lily-Sloane Burnette, Alexis Swartz, Allis Oliver, Annelise Schuetze, Briana Rivolo, Heather Weaver and Cassie Van Zee of Rebel Athletic. On back row are Gerry Kiefer and Julia Coleman of CRPPS, Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr., VP of Marketing for Rebel Athletic Abby Hoeffner, Main Street Director Jill Leo, Community Manager and Grants Writer Nicole Gray, Councilwoman Betty Sawyer-Smith, Director of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Arlene Gould.

By Hannah Richardson

Natchitoches has always been a good destination for out of town groups to visit. A few visitors from clothing company Rebel Athletics could be seen paddling away on Cane River Lake Friday, April 21. Luckily the stormy weather held off until the evening so the group could take advantage of a fair midday outdoors.

Rebel Athletic showcases various types of athleisure wear and retail apparel for “souls the sparkle.” The group of girls and staff also came to wear this apparel and take photos for the organization’s social media pages and advertisements.

“A lot of these girls cheer as well,” said Vice President of Marketing Abby Hoeffner. “They have a passion for the brand on both sides. They are all about investing in the people that are supporting us and helping us grow.”

Rebel Athletic also has an ambassador and talent program, with members ranging from youth to adult. They have been making stops all across the country, including this stop in the city. At these stops, 14 of which this group is currently doing, these ambassadors that apply every year have the chance to meet with other Rebels with like-minds and wear the apparel outside of their gyms, and also try to boost the confidence of these young girls and boys. “We really have this whole empowerment movement. We laugh and say that we’re made of people with souls that sparkle!” said Hoeffner. The purpose of the group ambassador meet is also to partake in a fun activity and promote being active, such as paddling up and down the Cane River Lake. The attendees come from areas such as New Orleans, Texas and Arkansas. “We try to see where we can do an event that is within a 3-4 hour ride for about 30 of our ambassadors so they can have an opportunity to come and experience the brand with other fans and create content,” said Hoeffner. “That’s how the brand has grown as big as it has. With content creation opportunities, they get to have fun and have a confidence booster with having their pictures taken. It’s a lot of fun.”

The girls traveled in an area alongside the Natchitoches Riverbank while also taking photos, which will be used in
advertisements and on the group’s social media platforms.

Hoeffner, whose family has property in Martin close to Coushatta and also grew up visiting the area from time to time, said when they were looking at the map to find places to host their next event, Natchitoches was in a good range. The group also had a lunch up the hill at Maglieaux’s.

The group does popup shops when they are able, but the merchandise for both cheer and athletic wear can be found at rebelathletic.com.