Summer is a busy time with camps and leagues of various sports popping up throughout Chilton County.

The busy season on the playing fields also means a busy retail season for the Sports Shop located at 301 3rd Ave. N. in Clanton.

According to Hazel Cleckley, co-owner of the business with her husband Cecil, the store receives a peak in sales from March to October with baseball and softball being the primary items sold.

Orders must be placed in July for the supply that will hit the shelves the following spring, Cleckley said.

“If you don’t get it in by then, it’s very hard to get the proper product,” Cleckley said.

Despite involved in retail, the shop also offers customized shirts for the community and caters apparel of the local schools.

“We can make the shirts as big and as many as you want,” Cleckley said.

Each school in the county is represented in the store; whether on a T-shirt or a hot, a selection exists to choose from.

Customers can find just about everything needed to get their kids or team ready for the upcoming season.

Baseball pants are sold along with all the accessories to match, such as helmets, gloves and belts.

According to Cleckley, certain coaches and parents have been returning to the store every season since it opened 18 years ago.

As well as baseball and softball, the Sports Shop also sells certain equipment and apparel for football, soccer, basketball and various other sports.

“That’s what makes our business what it is,” Cleckley said. “We’ve grown up with them together over the years.”

The Sports Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. expect on Wednesday and Saturday, when its hours are 9 a.m. to noon and closed on Sunday.

For more information about the store’s merchandise, call (205) 755-2630.