After constructing for over a year, the Dick’s House of Sport in Ross Park held its grand opening on the weekend of April 5. The grand opening included deals, prizes and special appearances by a few Pittsburgh area professional athletes. Being the largest Dick’s store in such a highly trafficked area, there was much excitement for the opening weekend. Throughout the weekend a large number of people visited the one-of-a-kind Dick’s in the region.

The special appearances of Kris Letang of the Penguins, TJ Watt of the Steelers and David Bednar of the Pirates, made for a larger opportunity. Hundreds of people lined up outside of the new Dick’s at 9:00 a.m. on April 5, to try and secure a wristband to get the chance to see their favorite sports players in person. People were not allowed to bring personal items in to be signed, and only 100 people were able to get wristbands, so many who had waited were unfortunately not able to have the same experience as others.

“I am upset that I wasn’t able to attend the meet and greet for Kris Letang because he is my favorite Penguins player,” senior Jenna Haskey said. “He is the reason that I got into hockey in general, so the chance to meet him was important to me, and I hope I get the chance again in my future.”

Other than the meet and greet, the opening gave the opportunity for deals and prizes. The store had discounts on equipment and clothing, as well as prizes for shoppers throughout the weekend.

The store took the place of the old Sears building in the Ross Park Mall. The Dick’s House of Sport is significantly bigger than most Dick’s Sporting Goods stores in the area. The large store has a number of activities inside of it, making it not only a store, but a place for entertainment. The Dick’s House of Sport includes features like climbing walls, golf bays and multi-sport cages where people can come to enjoy their favorite activities. Each of these activities, along with other fitness classes that they will hold frequently, will be able to be scheduled through their website.

“I think that the sports complexes there are super cool, and since the field is turf it makes it a lot easier to practice on if there are rainy days,” sophomore Colton Blank said. “It also helps because if people are trying out equipment, they have a place to test it.”

People are excited about all of the opportunities that come with the new Dick’s House of Sports. It is new and different from any other sporting goods store, and people in the community are already enjoying its new, close-by presence.

“It’s more than just shopping with all of the attractions they have,” sophomore Garrett Drutarosky said. “I plan on going there to use their new fields and equipment.”