Varsity Sports History
Varsity Sports is a Louisiana-born running and fitness specialty store with four locations and an online shop. We specialize in making sure you are fit in the right shoes and apparel and using the best accessories for your day-to-day fitness activities. We incorporate our motto to “run hard. live easy” into both our lives and business.
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When Jenni Peters opened Varsity Sports' doors in Baton Rouge's quaint Garden District area in 2000, she never imagined the store would become a hub for the local running community in just a few years - or that her idea of giving away a free t-shirt with each shoe purchase would develop into such a well-recognized slogan & local collector's item. Jenni's credentials as a previous member of the U.S. Track and Field team and participant in the first Olympic Marathon Trials for Women in 1984 had more than equipped her with a slew of knowledge on & passion for the sport, and she saw a budding community of runners in the Baton Rouge area that she wanted to help develop. As the only specialty running shoe store in the area, Varsity Sports quickly became recognized as a leader in the industry that nine years later has been recognized twice as Runner's World Magazine's "Best Specialty Running Store in the Southeast Central Region" in the Runner's Choice Awards.
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In 2007, the Varsity Sports family brought their services to the northshore of Lake Ponchartrain by settling into the quaint area of Old Mandeville, another great area with loads of charm, great running & biking trails, and a blossoming running community similar to that of Baton Rouge in 2000. Much like the Baton Rouge store nine years before, the Mandeville location quickly paved the way to developing a strong community of runners on the Northshore.
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In 2010, it was time to make the move to the “Big City”. We opened our Magazine St. store in the heart of uptown New Orleans to service the needs of a broader, active community. Ten years later, we opened our second New Orleans door in the Lakeview neighborhood, just short distances from the New Orleans / Jefferson Lakefront and City Park.
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We're confident that the Varsity Sports experience is what sets us apart. These runner's hangouts are dedicated to providing individualized gait analysis and custom shoe-fitting for runners and walkers alike in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. With weekly group runs organized and led by Jenni herself, a highly-trained staff of life-long runners and medical professionals, and of course, the occasional post-run social gathering, "Run Hard, Live Easy" has developed into more than just a motto - it's become a lifestyle, and a great one at that!
Stop by today to see what we can do for you and join in on all the fun! Hope to see you soon!
