In Focus | Bob Henderson of Play It Again Sports

Bob Henderson is a family man who wants to help families. He started Play It Again Sports a few months ago with that precise goal in mind. He wanted to help keep sports in the Okanagan affordable for families. Sometimes the cost of getting your child outfitted for their favourite sport can spiral beyond a family’s capability. Play It Again gives families a chance to to buy sports gear at a great price and get a further discount by trading in your unused gear results in an unbeatable value offering for price conscious Moms and Dads. It's great for all seasons with a wide variety of sports and name brands represented. Today Bob and Play It Again Sports are In Focus.

What do you always find yourself saying?
“Wow. Owning your own business is a lot more work than I thought it would be”.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Other than my family, I would have to say Mark “the Moose” Messier. I lived in Edmonton when the Moose was playing for the Oilers and was inspired by his skills, his leadership abilities, his unselfishness and his involvement in the community. Truly a classy guy who I am sure has some great stories to share.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
I’m not really the type of person that looks forward to individual recognition. The best form of recognition is when one of our customers tells us how much they enjoy our store and the fact that they can now access quality, gently used sports gear at affordable prices.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
I would have to say Thomas Edison. I think perseverance has a lot to do with being successful in small business and Edison certainly defines perseverance. It would be interesting to know what kept him moving forward while experiencing all the failures in his quest to develop the telephone.

Who inspires you?
My Mom and Dad. Both are in their 70’s and still lead lives full of adventure through sports, travel and community involvement. They recently celebrated their 50^th anniversary together and still miss each other when separated for more than a couple of days.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
(1) Take 6 months and explore Europe and Africa with the family, (2) a sailing adventure on BC’s West Coast and (3) fitting 50+ days of skiing into a single season.

Tell us about a defining moment in your life.
We spent 2 years in Kenya, East African living on a small hospital compound when I was in my early teens. My Dad and Mom worked in the local hospital while the kids went to school and explored the countries game parks whenever we could. That two years gave me, my brothers and sister a real appreciation for travel, cultural diversity, nature and how lucky we are to be living in a country like Canada.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
‘Gently Used’

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
Picking one day is difficult. If I were to pick one, it would have to focus around our kids. Whether it be attending their graduations, their weddings, or any defining day in their lives, that would be the day I would select. I think all parents have a vision of how those important days unfold.

What are you passionate about?
I’ve always been a ‘wear my emotions on my sleeve’ type of guy and as a result, get pretty passionate about a lot of things. Family would be at the top followed closely by community, travel and business. I’m always cheering for the underdog (go Oilers go!) so like to take on causes that may not get a lot of mainstream support.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
I’ve had more than my share. I would be in trouble if I didn’t mention my wedding day or the birth of our two amazing children. Another that comes to mind just took place recently. Our daughter just started middle school this year and was a little nervous about the transition from elementary school. We had the chance to tour the new school with her last week and experience her excitement of having her own locker, having multiple classrooms along with an actual cafeteria. It was pretty emotional to see how she had overcome over her fears and had settled into her new surroundings.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
I realize I am beginning to sound like a ‘stuck record’ but watching our two children, Maegan and Chris develop into such amazing young people would be my proudest accomplishment. I realize they get most of their special qualities from their Mom but I like to think I have had a little influence in their personalities.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
‘Taco Del Mar’ off of Banks Road. It’s not real sexy but the food is delicious and healthy (try the taco salad). Mike, the owner, is an entertaining, high-energy guy who greets his customers by their first names.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Kelowna has so many special things to offer families. It’s hard to pick just one. Skating at the outdoor rink at Stuart Park on a sunny January day would rank right up there. Biking along the Mission Creek Pathway during the fall comes to mind. Even getting up at 6 am on a Sunday to watch Chris play hockey makes the top 10 list. Each of those activities remind me how lucky we are to be living in Kelowna.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Play It Again Sports Kelowna

What does your business/organization do?
We buy, trade, sell and service quality, new and gently used sporting goods in our 5,000 square foot, two level store ½ block south of Costco on Baron road.

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.playitagainsportskelowna.com

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Search Bob Henderson at Play It Again Sports Kelowna

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
You can find us at Play It Again Sports Kelowna.

What is your mission?
“To keep sports affordable for Okanagan Families”

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
Increase the activity levels of Okanagan families by providing greater access to quality, gently used sports gear at affordable prices accompanied by exceptional service.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in 5 years?
To be recognized as providing the best value and service to Okanagan families with respect to a wide range of new and gently used sporting goods.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
There are a number of sports retailers in Kelowna that are very effective at their specialities. Our goal is not to compete with these businesses but to carve out a niche that isn’t currently being widely served, that being access to quality, gently used sports gear.

What 3 qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
The first would be ‘Value’. Being able to buy the sports gear families are looking for at a great price and get a further discount by trading in your unused gear results in an unbeatable value offering for price conscious Moms and Dads. The second would be ‘Service’. Everyone who enters our store is treated like family. Our team of Gear Gurus are always willing to talk about sports and the unique needs of each of our customers. The third would be Family Friendly’. Moms and Dads love the value and service we offer and the kids love to explore the store. It’s not unusual to see a 10 year old testing a used bike down the main isle of the store, a 6 year old all dressed up in ski gear including boots, skis, poles, goggles and helmet posing for a picture or a brother and sister having a game of hockey in one of the hockey aisles.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Thanks!!!!!!! We have a great team of Gear Gurus who work hard and have fun. They are the ones that make the store such a unique place to shop for our customers.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
An active community is a healthy community. Play It Again Sports Kelowna promotes an active community by creating greater access for families with respect to a wide variety of sports based on value and service. We also have a number of fund raising initiatives we can offer teams and associations who need help in covering costs associated with their activities. We recently had two Kelowna Minor Baseball Teams hold BBQs and Gear Swaps in our front parking lot, both with great success.

What makes you successful? Tell us about it.
It takes a lot of ingredients to create a successful business. If one ingredient is missing, there is a risk that the recipe will flop. Being part of a franchise with over 350 stores across North America ensures that most of those ingredients are in place. Play It Again Sports has a great support network and works with the franchise owners every step of the way. It’s also critical to identify an unmet need in the community and to create a business model that takes care of that need. With two young kids that take part in a variety of sports, we quickly realized that Kelowna was missing that business where families could get great value on new and used sports gear while trading in their unused gear. The Play It Again Sports model seemed like a perfect fit. Lastly, it’s really the employees that make a business successful. We have been very fortunate to have assembled a great group of people who love what they do.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
The first area of expertise that comes to mind would be mechanical engineering with elevator rescue being the topic of conversation. The second field of expertise I would seek out would be community leadership. I think it’s important for today’s business leaders to be active in the community and to support a cause that results in a healthier community. Hearing how these wealthy investors have influenced the communities that they live in would be an interesting conversation.

If I could change 1 thing about Kelowna, it would be:
Kelowna is an amazing city so that is a tough question. One thing that comes to mind would be the addition of more facilities that result in families becoming more physically active together. The Stuart Park skating rink is a great example of a facility which gets people active at a time of year many families remain indoors.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
There are so many great things about our city. I don’t think there is any city in the world that would be a better place to raise a family. Our climate and geography result in so many opportunities for families to get outdoors and be active. We have facilities like H2O and CNC that provide great indoor options. We have an excellent education system and leading edge health care services. We have access to all kinds of shopping amenities and are surrounded by orchards, vineyards and various types of vegetable farms. We’re pretty lucky to be able to call Kelowna home.

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at WelcometoKelowna.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do. We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!