Thomas Fields was a successful high school basketball player when he suddenly began to suffer devastating knee injuries that ended his career. While in recovery he couldn’t play basketball the same way he used to due to his knees, but he also saw a problem with the lack of affordable sports equipment. This gave him an idea of an affordable shooting net that could extent to twelve feet and then retract back and fit in a backpack. The name of his company is called GRIND Interactive and their main product is called the grind machine, which is a portable shooting machine that catches basketballs and “passes” the ball back to the athlete. This is a great invention as the market for these types of machines has been rapidly growing the past ten to fifteen years. I also love seeing young athletes realize there is more to life than their own athletic career, and pursuing careers in business all while tying their business back to sports. Fields’ use of his own pain both literally and figuratively, helped him create a now booming business that helped land him on this years Forbes Under 30, a very prestigious honor.
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This is such an inspiring story and shows how from trials and setbacks, great ideas can come around. It is likely that is Thomas had never gotten injured, then he would never have come up with this amazing idea. I love this idea because many times young aspiring or casual basketball players don’t have the money or space for something like a shooting net. But thanks to Thomas now anyone has access to it and can use it anywhere, whether its at home or the local gym.
Thomas’s story is very inspiring, and is a great example of a young entrepreneur mind. Solving the problem of expensive sports equipment, and providing an alternative so everyone can access it. Thomas has a successful future ahead of him. This will not be his only great idea.
I love this story! I appreciated how Thomas could turn something he loved, but could no longer do, into a business. I think Thomas’s idea was a compelling entrepreneurial idea because he realized that even though he could no longer be an athlete, he could help other athletes reach their goals.
I Think Thomas’s story and business idea is inspiring because his outlook on the situation was so selfless as still involved himself in something he loved but knew he could not do himself anymore. Thomas helped others and joined in their joy which is so neat and is something we are called to do.
This is a great story and definitely an inspiring one. When you think of a shooting machine for basketball, you think of those heavy machines wheeled on and off the court. The creative thought process of Thomas to bring something that big and be able to reconstruct it to fit inside of a backpack is simply mind-blowing. Thomas’ story is also something that many people could look to find strength when overcoming injuries.
Who wouldn’t want a portable basketball shooting machine, a great idea as he used his downfall for his benefit. This was an error in his life that he filled with a great thing, he had good come from bad and did it proudly. Some people will just get down but he did not, he used it to make himself better and ultimately get some cash as well.