THE DOOR at Sports World swings open again and again as families drift inside. A father lifts a blue-and-white hoodie while his son nods eagerly beside him. Nearby, teenagers flip through T-shirts, laughing as they hunt for the perfect Friday night gear, while at the counter, one customer picks up a trophy order and another carries an armful of jerseys to the register.
Inside, it feels less like shopping and more like the start of another season, another game, another memory waiting for kickoff under the lights.
For more than three decades, moments like these have filled this local, family-owned store. Sports World opened in 1990, when owner Nick Hayes’s in-laws, Bob and Sherry Carr, set out to offer reliable gear and personal service to the Lebanon community.
Hayes’ career at the store began years later.
“When I was in college, I worked here part time, on weekends, and things like that,” Hayes said. “After I graduated, I started working here full time.”
It began as a job, and gradually became something more. Hayes learned every corner of the operation from the ground up. In true small-business fashion, there were no rigid job descriptions — only the shared responsibility of keeping things running.
“I’ve done everything here,” he said. “Taking out the trash, making trophies, ordering products, working with customers — and now owning it.”
About four years ago, the Carrs began discussing retirement. Rather than see the business change hands or disappear, Hayes and his wife decided to carry it forward.
Today, Sports World remains a true family operation. Hayes’ wife helps run the business whenever she can, often spending her free time at the shop. Their children have grown up around the store as well, sometimes helping with tasks, other times simply being present as the day progresses.
That environment has shaped how Hayes views the business’s future.
“It’s getting generational now,” he said. “My kids have grown up around it, and that’s pretty special.”
Maintaining that legacy comes with responsibility. Hayes said Sports World didn’t earn its place in the community overnight. It was built through years of relationships, trust, and the work of those who came before him.
Community support is something he doesn’t take lightly. Over the years, Hayes has watched Lebanon rally behind teams, schools, and families whenever help is needed. From youth leagues raising funds for travel to local teams organizing events, the willingness of people to show up and give has left a lasting impression.
“My kids played sports growing up, and we did a lot of fundraising,” Hayes said. “I don’t think there was ever a time when we asked people to help, and they didn’t.”
One example involved his sons, who both had the opportunity to play in the Dixie Youth World Series. Traveling to a national tournament comes with a high cost, but the community stepped in to help make it possible.
“The outpouring of support was incredible,” Hayes said. “People weren’t doing it because they had to. They wanted to.”
That same spirit is something Hayes and his family strive to return.
Sports World regularly supports local schools and teams through sponsorships, advertisements, and fundraising partnerships. The store’s signs can be found on fences at ballfields across the area, and Hayes contributes to school yearbooks, athletic programs, and community events.
“A lot of teams and schools don’t have the funding they need,” he said. “So we help where we can.”
Like many small businesses, Sports World faces challenges in today’s retail environment. Large national chains and online retailers have redefined the shopping experience, and many of the same brands carried in-store now sell directly to customers online.
However, Hayes believes the difference lies in something larger stores can’t easily replicate — relationships.
“You can go a lot of places to get the same products,” he said. “So we have to give people a reason to come here.”
That reason often comes down to customer service and connection. Visitors don’t just stop by to make a purchase — they browse, talk with staff, and enjoy the experience of a traditional sporting goods store.
One thing that sets Sports World apart from other sports stores is its wide selection of local school apparel. Hayes made a deliberate effort to expand that offering, creating a space where fans can find gear representing schools across the area.
“That’s something you can’t just go get anywhere,” he said.
The shift has helped bring people back into the store after the pandemic, when many customers became accustomed to shopping almost exclusively online.
For Hayes, however, the most rewarding part of owning Sports World is the friendly faces of repeat customers, the conversations held across the counter, and the relationships built over time.
In a growing city like Lebanon, that kind of longevity matters.
For Hayes, the goal remains — to continue serving the community, welcoming customers through the door, and carrying the family legacy forward. GN
