SF_HerSport_Profile_0523_Profile 5 / 19 / 23 12 : 34 PM Page 1 HerSport profile 299B BERLIN ROAD CHERRY HILL ( 856 ) 795 - 7514 HerSport.com GAME ON As opportunities for female athletes of all ages continue to grow , HerSport is there to provide the best equipment , footwear and apparel , along with a friendly and knowledgeable staff . “ Our No . 1 thing all along , from day one , has been customer service , ” she says . “ That is by MATT COSENTINO ourforte . That is what has gotten us to where we are today and the best way for us to get new teams and customers has always been word of eb Gallagher can always tell right away when a young girl is making her initial visit to HerSport , the mouth : coaches talking with coaches , parents sporting goods store she owns that has been serving the equipment , apparel and footwear needs of talkingwith parents and players recommending Dfemale athletes and active women for the past 25 years . us to their coaches . ” Usually , first - timers are a little bashful , not sure what to expect and clutching their mom or dad’s hand HerSportis a one - stop shop for field hockey tightly as they shop for their first field hockey stick , lacrosse stick or pair of cleats . Before long , however , and lacrosse in particular , and has become a they’re talking and laughing with the friendly staff , trying out the equipment and enjoying the experience of destination store that attracts customers being treated like the center of attention . throughout the tri - state region . “ By the time they leave , they’re so excited that this store is for them , ” Gallagher says . “ I tell them , ‘ Now “ Ihave a strong belief in talking with parents when you come back , you know exactly where to go . You can go right over to the sticks , pick one up and try and players about the products and showing it out . ’ The smile on their faces is just unbelievable and so rewarding for me . ” them different things to try , ” Gallagher says . HerSport has emerged as a dependable resource for female athletes , specializing in field hockey and “ Weeven have a turf area in the store where they lacrosse along with soccer and basketball , and has also built a strong following as the supplier of uniforms can try out a hockey or lacrosse stick . We’re like and spirit wear for a variety of teams . But its success wasn’t always guaranteed . an information center for them to compare dif - Although tremendous strides have been made in the athletic opportunities available for girls of all ages , ferentbrands . ” Gallagher can remember growing up in Delaware County , Pennsylvania , and having to wait until high school The relationships with youth , club and high for a chance to play organized sports , even though she was passionate about them . Things weren’t all that school teams have grown exponentially , and much better in 1998 , the year that HerSport first opened its doors in Haddonfield . Gallagher credits her office manager and top But Gallagher and her partners at the time had a vision that the landscape was going to change and that team member , Karin Barlow , for being instru - a sporting goods store just for female athletes could find its place . A quarter of a century and thousands of mental in the success of that aspect of the busi - happy customers later , that notion has been proven right . ness.Michelle DeBernardi and Brittney Schaffer “ That was our mission , to have a store that would cater to the building and growth of women’s sports , ” are also key personnel on the office team and says Gallagher , the sole owner who oversaw the store’s relocation to Cherry Hill in 2013 . “ I definitely feel retail staff , along with additional part - time there is a strong need that we have fulfilled with the niche of a female specialty store . March 7 was the start employees . of our 26th year , and that’s certainly a feeling of accomplishment for me and my staff , who have been so Put it all together and it’s easy to see why helpful in getting us to this point through the ups and downs of being a small business . ” HerSport has lasted for 25 years and shows no One of the main reasons that HerSport has been able to survive challenges like the pandemic and com - signsof slowing down . petition from online retailers is the drive and commitment of its owner . Gallagher first got into the sporting “ As I look toward retirement , I’m hopeful goods industry as an employee for two family - owned businesses after graduating from West Chester thatthe business will be carried on by someone University , and continued to work who is interested in carrying the torch and feels nights , weekends and summers as the same passion — that there is a need for the she started her career as a high school women - specific sporting goods store in today’s physical education teacher and coach . market , ” Gallagher says . She remained involved even after “ Forme , the experience has been wonderful moving on to Haverford College , and it’s been great to see kids grow through the where she was the head lacrosse store.I don’t get to see them much when they’re coach and assistant field hockey in college , but from grade school to middle coach for six years . Gallagher eventu - schoolto high school , I see them every year . I left ally left coaching to work full time in teachingand coaching a long time ago , but I feel the sporting goods industry before like in this store I have been doing more of the coming to South Jersey and helping to same : teaching , coaching and truly developing launch HerSport . those relationships . ” ? SUBURBANFAMILYMAG.COM volume 13 issue 12 SUBURBAN FAMILY 19 OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN BUSINESS