How it Started
About 4 years ago, Robert was at a softball camp with his daughter, Johanna Acuna. The camp instructor was having the players practice routine drills including one for hand-eye coordination---you know the one: rolling a softball over small agility cones to simulate deflections and bad hops. Robert noticed that after each trial, the instructor (or a player) had to manually reset the cones. Time after time, roll after roll. He knew there had to be a better and more efficient way to perform this drill in a camp and/or practice setting.
Robert was confident there had to be a piece of equipment that would simulate the non-repetitive hops a ground ball might take on the field. After hours of searching online, he could not find it.
So, he decided to CREATE a new fielding device. In his mind, he envisioned a mat with hard bumps on it. But how to make up a mock sample?
He went to JoAnne’s and bought some fabric and Styrofoam balls. He adhered the fabric to a yoga mat, cut the balls in half, and used duct tape to tape the ½ balls on the mat. Then he and his daughter tried it out. It Worked!! It simulated the unpredictability of bounces a softball makes out in the field.
He knew he needed someone in the baseball world to try it out as well. His cousin, Dylan Duarte, had just wrapped up his playing career at the University of Alabama, a pitcher; but was also a standout amateur 1st baseman. Dylan Loved it! It was at this point Robert knew he had a winner.
Robert’s Background
Robert’s background in sports dates back to his early years. He grew up in a football family. Robert, himself, played football at Eastern New Mexico University, a DII college. Every member of his family was sports minded. He says the best things he learned through sports were proper attitude, hard work, overcoming adversity, and living a healthy lifestyle through strength & conditioning. And while he is raising his kids to be “sports minded”, he has never pushed a particular sport on any of them. However, each child has gravitated to their own sport: Johanna, or Jojo as she is known in the softball world, plays competitive softball, Cody, his son, is in wrestling, and Brooklyn, his youngest, loves volleyball.
How His Invention came to Life
Once Robert was confident with his new fielding mat, he met with a patent attorney to protect his invention. He had to find a company to license the mat to. Bringing the product to the market place on his own was out of his league, and he knew he needed help. He’s a sports guy, a father of three and, now an inventor. The patent attorney introduced Robert to Jeff Newkirk, a consumer products consultant. Robert sent Jeff all the information, photos and videos and they soon reached a royalty agreement opening a new sports company, Game Changing Products LLC, with sales driven through a website https://fieldsportstraining.com/. The company focuses on unique training equipment that improves fundamental skills in athletes. With help and advice from MLB player Jose Trevino, they perfected the optimal design for a deflection mat and named it the Fielder’s Dome Mat®. The mat has grown to be hugely popular with parents and entry level players as well as advanced coaches and infield instructors across the country and internationally.
What else has Robert Invented?
Growing up in a football family, playing collegiate football, Robert realized he was undersized as a football lineman. To make up for his lack of size/stature, he was determined to play every practice, every game with grit and effort---he used every part of his body when blocking in the trenches. He incurred many injuries and subsequent surgeries---to his right knee, left shoulder and finally, to his back. Robert first had spinal fusion back surgery in his lower spine. The plan after the first surgery was to recover for 8 weeks, then have a second procedure in the mid spine. Unfortunately, he had a bad reaction during the first back surgery, and he did not want to endure another problematic surgery, so he turned to extensive rehab and strength training
Although he could not bend all the way down to pick up a barbell, he knew that deadlifts would be beneficial with proper form and training. At that time, he was not even able to do a proper hinge. It was during this time of rehab and exercise that he conceived a vision of a t-bar with an adjustable and rotating handle where weight plates could load on, that also had slots for resistance bands. Again, after an exhaustive search through the internet and on Google, he could not find what he envisioned. There are some T-bars out in the sports cyberworld, but nothing like the T-BELL® he saw in his mind. Again, he met with the patent attorney, who again, loved his concept. Robert also met with some doctors to see if it would be beneficial in the rehab world, and they agreed that they would love to include it with their rehab patients.
Robert created his LLC, Next Level Industries, hoping to source out a designer, manufacturer, etc. to help him bring this T-Bell® to life. Unfortunately, this did not go well. It was at this point that he went to softball camp with his daughter and changed direction to pursue the Fielder’s Dome Mat®.
A year later, after the mat was being sold online, Robert revisited his T-Bell® concept. He met with Jeff, who, again, stepped up to assist with manufacturing and marketing. The T-Bell® has been on the market for just about 2 years and is gaining traction with coaches, players and sporting facility owners.
Robert’s Advice for new Sports Parents
- Don’t get caught up in social media. Don’t compare your kids to others on social media.
- Puberty will change things, and it is hard to predict when this will happen, so let your kid grow and develop in his or her body.
- Don’t overcomplicate things and get too fancy at the youth sports level. Start with the basics and with age-appropriate drills and training. FOUNDATION is the key.
- Nutrition and hydration are as important as practicing the fundamentals. For players and their families in tournament play or traveling to play, expect 10-12-hour days. Pack proper snacks, fluids and monitor the kids for fatigue, performance issues, diminishing attitudes, such as anger and exhaustion.
- Be careful about how you push your kids. Don’t ride your kids to the point of deterioration, errors, and attitudes. Teach your kids that errors happen and how to respond. Teach them a realistic approach. Don’t take away the joy of the sport. He has seen many kids quit at 14u level due to burnout.
Robert’s Advice to improve player performance
- Fielding –We need to put a focus back on fielding; he says it is overlooked in the coaching/training world. Robert recommends players, in practice, spend some time on it. Multiple reps, fielding ground balls, line drives, pop ups, etc. will help the player improve. Robert’s creation, the Fielder’s Dome Mat® is selling like hotcakes and produces results with efficiencies in time management for coaches & parents.
- Hitting---start kids with a TEE. Don’t skip this. When in a slump, MLB players will start back with a TEE. Use the TEE first at every practice. Field Sports Training will unveil a new Hitting training tool in Spring 2025. Stay Tuned!
- Pitching—Don’t get caught up in velocity to start. Focus first on proper throwing mechanics, to avoid Tommy John Surgery (Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction). Tommy John surgery is a procedure to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow, often used for athletes who throw a lot. Learn throwing mechanics and fundamentals through drills and proper coaching and equipment. Robert notes that ALL positions need to learn how to properly throw a softball/baseball. Field Sports Training’s Pitcher’s Alley (also invented by Robert) is a great tool to improve aim and accuracy.
- Catching –He says that the short stop is the most athletic position on the field, and a catcher is pretty much a short stop with gear on. Stay athletic, condition, train and keep mobile. The best “mover” should be behind the plate.
FST has its newest training tool, the Catcher’s Zone Mat®, available here on the website.
Benefits of a Training Facility
Robert suggested that if there is no one in the family who grew up like he did, with a sports foundation, then a training facility is a good option. A week ago, we posted a blog about choosing the best training facility. Lots of good tips and ideas to consider during your research if this is a priority for you and your players.
Robert’s Suggestion of best baseball/softball products out on the market (generically)
Hitting –Sequence bat, rope bat, using pinto beans to practice hitting (someone tosses a little pinto bean in front of the hitter who bats it, repeatedly). Improves hand-eye coordination.
Pitching –Invest in arm band care which are resistance bands for arm care and to start the blood flowing.
Fielding – Proper training glove. He recommends Valle Gloves in practice; use a regular glove during the game. https://vallesportinggoods.com/
Catching – proper glove that is broken in.
And of course, Jeff recommends you check out all our products at Field Sports Training!
And that’s about it
What a pleasure it was getting to know Robert and understanding how his ideas have come to life! We, at Field Sports Training, look forward to Robert’s new creations and brainstorming. And, if YOU have a new idea for a new invention, sports or otherwise, please feel free to reach out. You can use this email address to share your ideas: betty@fieldsportstraining.com
Blog you later!