Danny Tipton, a Wright-Patterson Air Force Base retiree, was first in line at 10 p.m. the previous evening, adding that he’s on the hunt for some apparel.
“I wanted to be the first one to enjoy Dick’s Sporting Goods,” he said. “I like the history of it, and I could use some thermal underwear.”
Others started joining him about 4 a.m., Tipton said, though adding that his 10-hour campout was “absolutely worth it.”
“I’ve met some good people,” he said.
The Beavercreek Dick’s House of Sport store is the 21st of its type nationwide, said Field Marketing Manager Kevin Troklus. It goes far beyond the typical Dick’s sporting goods store, with many extra features.
The over 100,000-square-foot facility includes a rock climbing wall, multiple golf bays with TrackMan simulators, and batting cages that can be used for baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer.
The store also has a 17,000-square-foot outdoor turf field, where kids can try out cleats, shoes and equipment to determine if they fit well, or are suitable for their sport.
“We thought about what would make a store stand out from just a normal shopping experience, where an athlete could come in and try and test the product out, at no other place than House of Sport,” Troklus said.
Bellbrook resident Ben Forshee said he and his family came to the grand opening at the urging of his young daughter Pearl, who wants to play basketball.
“I think it’s awesome. All our kids are in sports. We walked around yesterday and it seems like they’ve got a much wider selection of stuff,” he said.
Opening weekend activities include giveaways for gift cards for adults, DSG soccer balls for children and entries for a cash prize.
Three high-profile current and former Ohio athletes were scheduled to be at the grand opening weekend:
* Chris Olave, NFL wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints and former Ohio State Buckeyes great, was set to sign autographs from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday;
* Cincinnati Bengals rising star running back Chase Brown will be there from noon-1:30 p.m. Saturday;
* Hall of Fame former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench will appear from 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday.
Dick’s House of Sport currently operates stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Dick’s plans to have between 75 and 100 new concept locations by 2027.
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