[Eric and his dad after winning a local tournament]
Our founder, Eric, built HOOPTEQ to level the playing field — so every hooper can put in the reps no matter their age, gender, or economic background.
When I was in 6th grade
I couldn’t shoot.
I practiced daily, but I spent more time chasing missed shots than actually working on my jumper.
Then one day, a teammate told me about a machine his parents got him — it automatically catches and passes the ball back to you.
That one tool allowed him to get six times more shots than me each day.
I quickly realized these machines were prohibitively expensive, big, and immobile.
That’s when I realized my problem wasn’t effort, it was access to a shooting machine.
So I set out to build a solution that is so affordable, so compact, and so mobile that it can actually fold into a backpack.
[One of our early prototypes]
There were late nights, trial and error, and plenty of failed attempts. But I believed in the vision: a game-changing product that any kid could use, anywhere. Many, many prototypes later, with support from advisors, family, and friends, we’ve finally done it.
HOOPTEQ was never just about building a product.
It’s about breaking down the barriers that keep kids from achieving their potential.
It’s about giving the next generation of hoopers the tools I wish I had.
