Sports editor
Need some cleats? How about a new pair of tennis shoes? Is your baseball bat starting to lose that pop it had when you bought it brand new?
If so, Pam and Vince Magallanes are here for you.
Not to sound like an annoying car commercial, but the couple really is here for the people of Marion.
When they came to town nearly two years ago to be near their grandchildren, they weren’t sure if they would stay put. But Marion, and the grandchildren no doubt, have won the couple over.
Instead of just blending in, the two opened up Family Sports, a sporting goods consignment and retail shop, located on the corner of Main and Cedar streets, with a little bit of everything.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Pam Magallanes said. “We’re here for the community.”
And the community has noticed.
There are few places in town to buy cleats, baseball bats, and sports memorabilia.
Bait also has been a popular seller at the store.
While the stock is not where the Magallanes’ want it to be right now, they have big plans.
The two are in the process of becoming authorized dealers for Nike, Adidas, Under Armor, and others, and currently are authorized dealers for Olympia Sports.
“We try and capture the best deals we can,” Pam said.
Pam and Vince are both retired military and have lived in big cities.
They’ve experienced it all when it comes to choosing a place to live, and Marion has been a perfect fit for the two.
Their son, Shawn Nguyen, and daughter-in-law Tiodora Escalante live near the reservoir with the Magallanes’ four grandchildren, Damien, Brian, Brianna, and Brandon.
Pam and Vince have realized Marion is a great place to watch their grandchildren grow up.
“It’s a different world,” Pam said of large cities such as Glendale, Ariz., where the couple used to live. “It’s no place to raise kids.”
“We want to become a part of the community,” Vince said.
And what better way than to open a store that appeals to a lot of people in town?
Pam said she noticed the residents of Marion were into sports, so opening up a sporting goods store made sense.
They got the idea in January of 2007, put a business plan together, and opened this past June.
The couple realizes there are other stores in town that can produce some of the items they have, but their businesses do not focus 100 percent on sporting goods and memorabilia.
“We aren’t looking to tread on their territory,” Pam said.
They just want to be here for the convenience of the Marion shopper.
If a young softball player wears out her cleats, or a wrestler breaks his headgear, the Magallanes’ want the parents to be able to drive down the street to Family Sports instead of traveling to Newton or Wichita.
But the two also have another reason for opening the store.
They want to encourage children of all ages to stay active and participate in sports as much as they can.
“It’s important for them to live healthy lifestyles,” Pam said.
So the Magallanes keep working toward their goal of being able to provide products and services for everyone in Marion.
After being open for more than a month and watching bait fly off the shelves, the couple is looking forward to something else.
“I’m ready for football season,” Vince said.
He won’t find too many people in Marion who disagree.