Glove Wrap: 3 Things You Didn't Know About The Shark Tank Product
If there's one thing "Shark Tank" has demonstrated through its many featured businesses over the years, it's that there's no age requirement to having a good idea. A prime example of this idea is Glove Wrap, a product created by none other than eight-year-old Gavin Batarse. Showcased on "Shark Tank" Season 15, Episode 3, Glove Wrap is a specialized rubber wrap that can be used on new baseball gloves to quickly and efficiently break them in. Gavin conceived of the idea while playing baseball with his father Joe Batarse, and since then, their family has turned a novel concept into an official product and a social media phenomenon.
Glove Wrap has already become quite the notable success story even prior to its appearance on "Shark Tank," and a closer look at the history of the business and its premiere product reveals some pretty fascinating tidbits of information. Without further ado, here are three interesting facts about Glove Wrap.
Glove Wrap isn't just for baseball gloves
From the outside, the idea behind Glove Wrap may seem like it has a particularly niche use case for the sport of baseball. Indeed, the product only came about due to the Batarse's love of baseball, and players of the sport have been the business' target demographic since the beginning. However, despite much of the advertising, branding, and social media presence for Glove Wrap featuring it as a product specifically geared toward baseball players, it can actually be used for a number of other gloves and sports.
According to the official Glove Wrap site, the product can be used effectively on baseball gloves, softball gloves, and even hockey goalie gloves. In each case, the use process of inserting a ball into the glove and then tightly wrapping it with the Glove Wrap is the same, so one could theoretically reuse the same singular Glove Wrap for multiple mitts across multiple activities.
With the versatility of Glove Wrap, it's clear that the business owners have their eyes set on catering to the greater realm of sports in addition to baseball. As for whether the team will develop additional accessories geared towards even more sports, that remains to be seen.
Professional players have used Glove Wrap
Glove Wrap has actually become such a popular presence online that a number of professional baseball players have already become aware of the product themselves. Since the inception of the business in 2022, the official Glove Wrap TikTok account has featured multiple videos of Gavin Bartarse meeting various professional players on major league teams and gifting them a free Glove Wrap for personal use. Quite a number of these players, including Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray and Los Angeles Angels player Mike Moustakas, have had positive things to say about Gavin's entrepreneurial venture.
One particular video, which amassed over one million views on TikTok, features Los Angeles Angels outfielder Brett Phillips setting up his Glove Wrap for one of his own baseball gloves. "I already know this is going to be really good," he said. "Super simple idea, but really, really good. I'm very excited."
The Glove Wrap family watches Shark Tank
The Bartarses and their Glove Wrap business may hold the distinction of being one of the various businesses featured on "Shark Tank," but that's actually not where the connection between them and the show ends. Prior to the airing of their episode, the Bartarses revealed that they are major fans of "Shark Tank" as a series.
In a promotional blurb advertising Glove Wrap's appearance on "Shark Tank," Jon Bartarse said that he and his family watch the series regularly and appreciate what it has to say about the world of entrepreneurship. "Not only is it entertaining, it also teaches so many lessons about business and life — the value of hard work and creativity, going after your dreams, and being brave and confident under pressure," he said.
Jon went on to note that he and his family getting to make an appearance on the series themselves is cause for excitement in and of itself. "How cool is it that we now get to watch our own family in the tank, knowing the amount of hard work and determination it's taken to get there," he said.
What happened to Glove Wrap on Shark Tank?
Gavin Batarse enters the "Shark Tank" as the youngest entrepreneur of the night seeking just $50,000 for 20% of Glove Wrap. Helping him sell the panel of investors on this modest $250,000 valuation are his father John and his older sister Morgan, both of whom seem emphatically proud of Gavin's invention.
From the moment Gavin throws the first pitch, it's clear he's hoping one of two Sharks will take a swing: guest-shark Michael Rubin, the billionaire founder and CEO of the behemoth sports retail company Fanatics, Inc., and Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks who's been helping "Shark Tank" entrepreneurs develop relationships with the sporting world since he joined the show. The rest of the Sharks do their due diligence — learning Gavin has sold 1,000 units to date, grossing $19,000 in sales — but ultimately withdraw one by one. Noteworthy is the hilariously awkward tone shift when Barbara Corcoran breaks ranks with the overwhelmingly encouraging panel to bluntly claim that Gavin's invention is no better than an exercise band.
With Rubin and Cuban left in the tank, the former makes yet another play to do a joint deal (after being initially rebuffed by Cuban for Bot-It). This time, however, Cuban immediately agrees — but he warns Gavin that he'll have to counter with a real shark position for more equity. After some suspense, Cuban presents his and Rubin's final offer: $50,000 for 22% of the company (11% each). Gavin accepts, gaining two billionaire business partners with connections in almost every corner of the sporting goods industry. That's a grand slam if we've ever seen one.