Paul Ryan already knew USA Ninja Challenge well when he decided to become a franchise owner. His son had been in the program for about four years, giving Ryan the chance to see the classes, coaches and customer experience firsthand before he ever considered owning a gym.

Ryan was introduced to the brand around 2019, when he and his family found a USA Ninja Challenge camp for his son, who was about 9 years old at the time. The obstacle-based program looked like something he would enjoy, and the family decided to give it a try. His son had a great time at camp, so they signed him up for weekly classes.

“He wasn’t a huge team-sport guy,” Ryan said. “This is something that he could do individually but with a group. He started to gain more confidence in what he could do physically, and he started to make a lot of friends.”

USA Ninja Challenge brought together children from different communities, giving him another group of kids to spend time with. Ryan said his son gradually became more confident and outgoing, and he wanted to give that experience to more families.

Seeing the Business Through a Parent’s Eyes

Ryan spent about four years watching his son participate before he seriously considered becoming an owner himself. By 2023, he had spent years in corporate America and was thinking about making a career change. The business also fit his own interests. Ryan and his family participate in Spartan races and he enjoys outdoor sports. More importantly, he had already seen what ninja could offer children.

“Ninja was something I thought I could enjoy. I saw how much my son was enjoying it, and I was getting tired of being in corporate America. I had that entrepreneurial drive to control my own destiny,” Ryan said. “I started talking to my wife about the potential of doing something else career-wise, and a gym was something we were interested in because we saw how great it was for our son and other kids in the program.”

Rather than open a new location, Ryan bought the existing USA Ninja Challenge gym in Marlborough in 2024. He felt there was more the business could be doing to reach families in the area, particularly when it came to marketing and showing parents what their children could get out of the program. Having spent years on the other side of the experience as a parent, Ryan also came into ownership knowing which parts of the gym worked well and where he saw opportunities to make changes.

Using the Customer Experience to Make Changes

Ryan already understood the USA Ninja Challenge programming when he became an owner. One feature that had stood out to him as a parent was the system used to track a child’s progress.

“You can objectively see how your child is getting better at the rope climb, for example, because they’re progressing through the levels,” Ryan said. “It’s not up to just somebody’s opinion.”

Ryan did not see a need to change the core programming when he became an owner. He did, however, remember what it felt like to spend time in the gym as a parent. Parents often sat in a row and watched their children through a window.

“We opened up the space. There are more tables and we have an activity area for younger siblings who are not in the program,” Ryan said. “We just made it a more community-feeling space. It’s something that you’re involved in, not just something that you do and you drop your kid off at. If I hadn’t been a member in a gym before that, that’s probably something I wouldn’t have thought of.”

A Business Ryan Already Believed In

Ryan’s experience also influenced how he viewed the franchise opportunity itself. He had watched children arrive excited for class and leave tired but eager to return. He had seen his own son become more confident, make friends and eventually enter the competitive side of the sport.

Ninja also gave children another option beyond traditional sports. Ryan said an established gym may serve mostly recreational participants while also providing a path for children who want to compete.

“It’s not just an activity,” Ryan said. “It’s something that could be kids’ main sport as they grow.”

That potential reinforced his belief that the business had room to grow. USA Ninja Challenge could serve children who simply wanted an active recreational program as well as those who developed a stronger interest in Ninja as a sport.

Ryan said prospective franchise owners should understand that operating a gym requires personal involvement. He sees USA Ninja Challenge as a local business built around families, children and relationships within the community.

“You want to be somebody who is invested in the community and wants to give back,” Ryan said. “That’s what this business does. It gives kids the opportunity to do something they haven’t done before.”

Ryan’s experience with USA Ninja Challenge gave him several years to understand the program before investing in a location of his own. Today, that same experience continues to influence how he runs his gym and serves the families who walk through its doors.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/usa-ninja-challenge.