In the world of sports, the quality and condition of equipment can significantly affect an athlete’s performance. One such critical piece of equipment in baseball, softball, and hockey is the glove. Despite its importance, breaking in a new glove has always been a challenge, often requiring complicated and time-consuming methods. From this universal struggle emerged Glove Wrap™, a product created by a Southern California family deeply rooted in their love for baseball and softball. Developed to simplify the traditionally cumbersome process of breaking in new gloves, Glove Wrap™ is capturing the attention of athletes from various age groups and skill levels.
Glove Wrap Before Shark Tank
The Batarse family, residing in Orange County, California, is not your ordinary household. Eight-year-old Gavin Batarse, a fervent baseball player, faced a challenge that has been frustrating athletes for decades—breaking in a new glove. The stiffness and rigidity of a new glove can be a hindrance to performance, and Gavin knew this all too well. Alongside his father Jon, who also serves as his baseball coach, and his sister Morgan, Gavin sought to find an efficient way to soften his new glove for optimal play.
After numerous attempts employing conventional methods to soften the glove, which ranged from oiling it to physically manipulating the leather, Gavin had an epiphany. This led to the inception of Glove Wrap™, an innovative tool designed to break in and shape gloves with remarkable ease. It was a moment of realization not only for Gavin but also for Jon, who saw this as an opportunity to inculcate entrepreneurial skills in his children. The Batarse family soon found themselves on the set of the popular TV show, “Shark Tank,” to pitch their invention. It wasn’t just an outing for a business pitch but an experience the family cherishes as a lesson in hard work, creativity, and resilience.
How It Works
At the heart of Glove Wrap™ is simplicity and utility. The product comprises a latex-free, thermoplastic elastomer band, carefully designed in terms of thickness, width, and length to apply the optimal amount of pressure required to shape the glove. The process to use Glove Wrap™ is straightforward, making it accessible for people of all ages. A ball is placed in the pocket of the glove to start the reshaping process. The Glove Wrap™ is then tightly wound around the glove, and the applied pressure facilitates the breaking-in process. For best results, the wrapped glove is left overnight, to be unwrapped in the morning.
Traditional methods for breaking in gloves can be cumbersome and time-consuming. They may involve multiple steps and the use of oils or other substances that can damage the glove material, thus shortening its lifespan. With Glove Wrap™, those worries are addressed, enabling athletes to focus more on their game rather overall glove maintenance.
In its relatively short time on the market, Glove Wrap™ has amassed an enthusiastic following, boasting nearly 100,000 followers across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Their videos have garnered upwards of 30 million views, echoing the strong approval of the sports community, from tee ball players to professionals. Jon Batarse highlights that the product has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, fulfilling Gavin’s dream of gifting this useful tool to some of his favorite professional players.
While currently available only through their official website, the Batarse family aims to expand their reach. They envision Glove Wrap™ being accessible to every player, sold across multiple outlets, and not just limited to their online platform. In doing so, they hope to inspire a new generation of young entrepreneurs to turn their creative ideas into tangible solutions.
