Schmetzer's Sporthaus, a Seattle soccer equipment store opened by the father of Seattle Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer earlier this month, closed its doors for good this month after more than four decades of operation.
And as any local institution deserves, Sounder at Heart has the in-depth story behind the inspiration and lifespan of a shop that served as spiritual home for Seattle's precocious soccer scene since 1974. (You can see a little bit of Schmetzer's Sporthaus in a recent episode of The Movement pres. by AT&T, above.)
From Walter Schmetzer's "A-ha moment" that inspired the business, to the evolution of the store into a family affair, to the inevitable latercompetition from other vendors, the story of Schmetzer's Sporthaus runs parallel to the story of soccer in North America.
And it's one that is certainly worth reading.
