Play Ball at The Perfect Swing

PJ Ciccone and his brother, Bill Carpenter, were 12 years apart in age. But they were united in their love of baseball.

Carpenter grew up to become an accountant and opened his own firm, but he never lost his love for sports. In 2005, he opened in the unit directly across from its current location.

Ciccone said that his brother, a Darien resident, thought this city was a great location. “Darien is so centrally located (with the expressways),” he said.

That same year, Ciccone graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in business management.

“I actually went into accounting, following my brother, and quickly learned that accounting’s not for me,” he laughed. “So I did management, covered a little bit of everything.”

In 2006, Carpenter invited Ciccone to join him in the business. Ciccone gave up a sales job in the lumber industry and never looked back. Now he is the managing partner while Carpenter handles the accounting.

“We both played baseball growing up,” Ciccone said. “And I went to a training facility like this, so I had a lot of knowledge about it.”

The brothers’ business grew, and they moved it into the current facility in 2007. They now have 17 batting cages for baseball and softball, along with pitching machines for both. They have three turf fields as well.

Their facility got noticed, and organizations and instructors began calling. One 80'x100' turf area is big enough for a diamond and bases, which Ciccone said not too many local batting cages can boast.

“Most of our instructors have pro backgrounds," Ciccone said. "When Bill first opened up, he got a few guys that just came in that were instructors, and they said, ‘Can we do lessons here? This is nice!’ And Bill said, ‘Absolutely!’ Now they’re still coming to us by word-of-mouth.”

More than 20 instructors, some private, now use this facility. Baseball and softball are the most popular sports. Soccer clubs also rent the turf fields for indoor practice. In a typical week, 30-40 teams come through their doors.

A good mix of boys and girls use this facility, generally 8-years-old through college. But a new program is geared for younger kids.

“We brought in a program called ‘Little Sluggers,'” explained Ciccone. “They specialize in the younger ages, to teach them baseball and running and things like that. Get them moving and get their muscles stronger. These instructors are just kid-friendly.”

Ciccone and Carpenter look for other ways to help young athletes develop. "Beyond baseball and softball, we do speed, agility and strength training,” Ciccone explained. “We’re offering it all here now. We’re a one-stop shop.”

The brothers never turn down an opportunity to work with local schools, and they make regular donations for silent auctions and other fundraising efforts.

And they love seeing their students succeed.

“Not every kid’s going to play professional baseball,” Ciccone said. “Our goal is to try to enhance their skills. If they’re going to work hard, we’re going to work hard training them. It’s cool seeing those young kids who were 8-years-old now playing high school ball and seeing their names in the paper.”

The Perfect Swing offers a variety of classes and packages for all age groups. For more information, visit their facility at 8251 Lemont Road in Darien, or go to www.perfectswingil.com. Their phone number is 630-910-3617.