Chris and Jennifer Smusz were destined to be in the sporting goods business together. They actually met one another at MC Sports in 1990 and were married two years later. Fast forward to the summer of 2018 and they are now just days away from conducting what they hope will be a spectacular Grand Opening of their new Sports 44 store in the Camelot Business Center on S. Cleveland Avenue in St. Joseph Charter Township.
Sports 44 “Sporting Goods 4 All 4 Seasons” quietly opened just over a month ago in the first week of June as a sports consignment store handling clothing, gear, supplies and equipment for a wide array of sports endeavors and sports enthusiasts in Michigan’s Great Southwest.
Coming for deep backgrounds in sports retail management at MC Sports and elsewhere, the Smusz family elected consignment sporting goods because they have watched the need for such a retailer develop over the years as they watched, participated with, and coached their own children as they grew up in both local sports organizations and in various travel sports across the region.
Staring down the double barrel of both increasing expenses and outgrowing equipment was bad enough, but when you factor in the changing interests of kids and the sports they develop an interest in, the consignment model just made increasing sense to both Jennifer and Chris.
Chris graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Business Degree, and Jennifer graduated from Western Michigan University with a Fashion Merchandising Degree. On top of that grounding, both have more than 15 years in retail and retail management experience, largely in the sports retail realm.
Additionally, the 35-plus years of combined teaching experience they bring to the table in both sports and coaching, the need drew even more sharply into focus and so they elected to pursue their start-up business plan by seeking out the assistance of Margaret Adams and her team at the Cornerstone Alliance Small Business Services unit and the Women’s Business Center.
Working with Adams since November of last year, the couple not only sought to launch their business, but also to help the community at large by giving back in some way. They are hopeful that everyone sees the “win-win” factor in Sports 44 which is newly anchored at 2605 S. Cleveland Avenue in St. Joseph.
They are hopeful that the new consignment business will help take some of the financial burden off of the demanding sports costs and maybe even help those who haven’t been able to participate because of high costs to “get in the game” now.
By showcasing the consignment line up in the house, Chris and Jennifer encourage the use of amenities in the local marketplace through cycling, camping, golfing, water sports, team sports and other recreational endeavors. Most of those sports and others are represented in the shop through goods being sold for others.
Jennifer says, “Cornerstone has been very helpful in providing guidance in starting up our new small business,” adding, “They have been very professional, encouraging, supportive, and helped us dot our I’s and cross our T’s in this new journey of owning our own business.” She concludes, “Their mentorship has been priceless!”
Sports 44 is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am until 6pm, Saturdays from 10 until 4 and they are closed on Sunday and Monday to recharge the batteries and re-set the store each week. You can reach the store with questions at 269-408-1349.
Chris says that to participate by selling items, basically, you take your items in, they check them over, and then it’s a 50/50 split if your items sels. We would love to check out whatever sporting good items you might be interested in selling rather than putting them in a garage or rummage sale.
Be sure to put Monday, July 30th on your calendar and plan to join Sports 44 for their ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am, immediately followed by opening ceremonies complete with shop tours and open shopping hours until noon that day (a day which ordinarily would find them closed in their routine schedule).
