When Oak Park resident Erich Krumrei opened retail sporting goods store Play It Again in the heart of Forest Park’s bustling Madison Street in 2021, he knew that eventually, he would like to expand his business to include a space dedicated to batting cages.
So three years later, when the opportunity to widen his retail footprint presented itself and Krumrei was able to open up space in the back of the store, he finally got to see his goal of bringing batting practice to downtown Forest Park a reality.
Enter Victory Sports Club — a premier indoor training facility offering state-of-the-art batting cages, pitching practice, and one-on-one personal training from expert coaches dedicated to meeting baseball and softball players where they’re at and helping bring them to the next level.
Since opening its doors in April 2024, Krumrei says Victory has catered to a wide range of athletes, from beginners looking to learn the basics to seasoned players aiming to hone their skills for high school and collegiate play.
With two large batting cages, modern pitching machines to accommodate slow and fast pitch play, a weight training space and coaches ranging from college athletes to former professionals, Krumrei says Victory is proudly able to accommodate upwards of 100 athletes a month.
“We might be on the small side as far as space goes, but the quality of instruction that folks are getting and the baseball knowledge is exceptional,” he said.
While some days are filled with reservations from whole teams, others are packed with appointments of parents and their children — something Krumrei says was his vision when creating a space that could be used for team building, family bonding and more.
“Kids are starting to work with instructors earlier and earlier, and we have great instructors that are able to cater to young kids and high schoolers,” he explained. “I think it’s convenient for parents to be able to come here and drop their son and daughter off and pick them up in two hours.”
Aside from business from regular athletes, which ebbs and flows depending on sports seasons and off seasons, Krumrei says Victory is also a place where adults who play baseball or softball recreationally or just want to try their hand at batting practice are welcome.
People can book a 30-minute or hour-long cage practice with either pitching included or not, or purchase monthly memberships if they prefer to come as often as they’d like to use the cages.
With the majority of business coming from players of local club teams, high-school teams, private travel programs and park district leagues, Krumrei says the batting cages are fulfilling his goal of bringing a quality, community-centric facility to locals, who don’t have to travel far to practice their skills.
“We’re convenient and in the community — you’re not driving 5 or 10 miles for practice,” he said. “It’s been great to see the growth with Victory and providing that opportunity for Forest Park and beyond.”
For more about Victory, including pricing and booking, visit victorysportclub.com or call (708) 446-9159.