The Beginning

Zero G Soccer was founded by 2 Dads passionately supporting their soccer loving kids both on and off the field. 

INSPIRATION:  

One hot afternoon, Dad #1, Steve Jr.,  was outside with his two girls. Playing barrel ball, soccer dodgeball and other fun games to disguise soccer practice as family time.  Both girls, ages 12 and 9, were standout players amongst their peers. Steve credits some of this to these “playtimes” at home. 

During this session the focus was foot skills through juggling.  It was painful to watch. The girls did well for their ages, but they had a long way to go. He knew he couldn't lead by example and promised himself to master the ball control required to juggle. He had a long road to travel. His best “set” that day was 4 juggles. And according to Steve "that was really just the number of times I kicked a wildly departing ball.”

Shortly after, duty called and it was time he returned to the Tug Boat to serve as a Merchant Marine. With a handful of cheap soccer balls in hand, he departed for the ship determined to improve his ball handling skills and learn how to juggle a soccer ball.

As you can imagine, this proved to be difficult for a 40 something year old man who has never played competitively. More than a few times he had to go diving for balls, and many soccer balls were fated for a life at sea with Wilson and Tom Hanks.  

Desperate not to lose any more soccer balls, he worked with what he had on hand. He turned to fishing net to tether the ball. This successfully reduced time spent in the water, but his limbs were caught in a tangle of webbing.

Finally, creativity sparked. He turned to a mop, a bucket and a whole lot of duct tape.

After a few kicks, Steve discovered the ball (or bristle brush wrapped in duct tape) would float a bit before making contact with the floor. By repositioning the pole  further over the bucket, he could control how quickly the soccer ball drops. Not only does this put an end to having to dive for soccer balls, he could increase or decrease the drop of the ball to customize it to his skill level.

It was a crude design and almost impossible to use, but he managed to get in 300-400 kicks. Determined to develop a more functional design for the girls, he again used what little he had. Prototype 2 involved a used VHF radio antenna, and a short hose to serve as a flexible joint attached to a barbell weight.

After several days of practicing with this setup,  he attempted to juggle a free falling soccer ball. 

The Dad who could barely juggle a soccer ball 4 times, was now able to juggle 20 plus times in a row. With control!

In this moment, Steve realized this contraption is the equivalent of training wheels for soccer players. 

Evolution:

Steve brought the idea to a fellow soccer Dad and engineer. Together, Mike and Steve engineered a more sophisticated version and brought to market what is now known as the Zero G Soccer Trainer.

"Each and every trainer is, and has always been, made by hand. By OUR hands and the hands of our family members."

The Future:

Together, the team continues to innovate and create products with locally sourced materials. Although, it costs more (so much more) to produce quality products in the USA, we are committed to keeping it local despite the financial incentive outsourcing to China offers.

Our soccer trainer is made to last through multiple generations. And we stand behind this claim. If at any point, a part is failing you, contact us to make it right.