Kits Sports Center in Lake Zurich closes
After nearly two decades, Kits Sports Center in Lake Zurich has closed, co-owner Tom Chmela said Wednesday.
Kits, at 325 Surryse Road, offered youth and adult programs and leagues for soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse and other sports.
"I'm saddened because Kits has been here for 20 years and provided a great service to so many," Chmela said of the business, which closed earlier this week.
Business at the 52,500-square-foot facility was declining lately, he said.
One of the factors for the decline in revenue was that fewer leagues were using the facility. He added that soccer teams and other clubs were still using the facility, but did not generate as much income. In addition, the facility was only in use about six months a year when the weather is not conducive to outdoor sports.
"Business was tough," he said.
The building and the business are now for sale, said Chmela, who is a partner and majority owner in the business.
He added that he is glad he was able to provide a place for youth and athletes of all ages to participate in sports and activities for so many years. Holding sports-themed birthday parties was another aspect of the business.
Chmela, 63, is a veteran soccer coach and will continue to run the Hawthorn Woods Elite Soccer Club and train coaches and players through the Wauconda Area Youth Soccer Club. Chmela retired a few years ago as a physical education teacher at Evanston Township High School.
He said it was tough to close. "I wish we could have kept going. But things changed and decisions had to be made."