Joe Molosky's passion for hockey was the catalyst for becoming the owner of a Play It Again Sports in Merrillville.

The resale sports equipment franchise location will open Sept. 5 at 1876 E. 80th Ave. across from Southlake Mall.

Molosky knows that playing sports leads to mental, physical and emotional health. So, he signed up his children for various sports as they were growing up. He quickly became frustrated with the expense of buying new sports equipment for them as they grew up.

That led to his desire to help families find affordable ways to keep their children active by enrolling in youth sports.

He said he chose to open the location in Northwest Indiana because of its economic growth.

“Northwest Indiana is a growing area, families are expanding and more people are setting roots in the area,” Molosky said in a press release. “We want Play It Again Sports to be a part of this growing community – a place where families and children are excited to come to. My hope is that we build long-lasting partnerships and relationships with families, sports leagues, teams and facilities, all while making sports equipment accessible to the Northwest Indiana community.”

The opening weekend kicks off Sept. 5 with a ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. Learn more about weekend promotions here.

Play It Again Sports is part of the Winmark Corp. family of companies, which include Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child, Style Encore and Music Go Round. As of March, the company had 1,327 franchises, including 290 that are Play It Again Sports.