How one little leaguerknocked one out of the park with the youth athletic cup he created for boys like him. Comfy Cup provides light impact groin protection in a comfortable and kid-friendly design.
The Comfy Cup® was invented by 8-year old, Kyler Russell when he grew frustrated with the hard uncomfortable protective athletic cup that his baseball coach required all players on his team to wear as part of the uniform.
THE PROBLEM: Kyler’s coach required all players on his team to wear a youth protective athletic cup to all baseball games and baseball practices. The athletic cups available were all hard, bulky and uncomfortable, which interfered with Kyler’s ability to focus and concentrate on improving his baseball skills.
THE SOLUTION: Kyler had an idea to create a comfortable, light-weight, flexible, protective athletic cup designed specifically to fit youth athletes just getting started with contact sports. Kyler and his mom put their heads together and designed “The Comfy Cup”. What started out as a hand-sewn product created in the Russell Family’s dining room has evolved into a field-tested, kid-approved Comfy Cup® available to little league baseball players, pee wee football players and youth athletes around the world.
The Russell family is blessed to live a life where they get to leverage their own life experience, love for sports, and unique creative talents to materialize a product that meets a need of young athletes. Realizing the joy that comes in manifesting a creative idea and seeing it benefit others, the Russell Family is committed to donate a percentage of net-profits to programs that support young inventors and entrepreneurs.
THE COMFY CUP IN THE NEWS
11-YEAR OLD ATHLETE-TURNED ENTREPRENEUR
CREATES THE IMPOSSIBLE — A COMFORTABLE ATHLETIC CUP
The Comfy Cup ™ helps boys focus on the game, not the gear.
11-year old, Kyler Russell, of Lenexa, Kansas, was frustrated by the protective athletic cup his baseball coach required boys on his team to wear. It was hard and uncomfortable. Kyler would fidget with it in the batter’s box, on the field, and in the dugout. It was a constant interference from focusing on the game. He and his parents tried a variety of athletic cups available in sporting goods stores and online, but couldn’t find a better solution. Instead of letting him whine about it, Kyler’s parents challenged him to come up with a solution. And now, he has hit a home run!
LENEXA, KS – It’s baseball season! Spring training is in full swing for major league and little league teams. Every parent who has sat in the bleachers during a boy’s baseball game is familiar with this scene:a boy distracted from the game fidgeting with his protective athletic cup.
Kyler invented the Comfy Cup™— a more comfortable, lightweight, flexible athletic cup specifically contoured to fit the bodies of youngboys.Kyler explains, “I told my mom that I had an idea for a more comfortable cup…we went to the craft store and bought some supplies, my mom got out her sewing machine and we worked together to create the idea I had in my mind.” What started out as a handmade project in August 2014 has now evolved into the field-tested, kid-approved Comfy Cup™ available for purchase at Scheels of Overland Park, on Amazon, and was recently selected to be the featured product April 5th onThe Grommet, a popular retail website with 2.5 million subscribers around the globe–exposure that could turnKyler’s little-knownproduct into the next must-have item for little leaguers around the world.
The Russell family feels blessed to live a life where they get to leverage their life experiences, love for sports, and unique creative talents to materialize a product that helps kids live better and have more fun.“In this case we just wanted to make sports safer and more enjoyable for boys one less distraction at a time,” says Co-CEO and head mom Brandi Russell.
Additional Information
For press kits, media requests, and additional information on the Comfy Cup™ please contact us at (260) BE-COMFY/ (260) 232-6639.
FOX TV Interview
FAQs
The Comfy Cup® was invented by 8-year old, Kyler Russell when he grew frustrated with the hard uncomfortable protective athletic cup that his baseball coach required all players on his team to wear as part of the uniform.
When was the athletic cup invented? ›
One of the first recorded US patents of a modern-type athletic cup is believed to be in 1931 by Forrest M Record. A note of interest, the year prior, a patent for a 'Blow distributing athletic protector” was issued to James P Taylor. It was not a genital cup but was inflated with air using a stem just like a tire.
Should my son wear a cup for baseball? ›
Similarly, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine encourages all male athletes to wear a cup when participating in sports that have a “significant risk for testicular injury,” including lacrosse, soccer, baseball, ice hockey, rugby, football, boxing, and mixed martial arts.
What is a nutty buddy cup? ›
NuttyBuddy Classic
CLASSIC - This cup is our most protective. Full high impact from any assault—front, side, and underneath. If you play a sport with a hard ball – Buy this cup. This is the beast that will keep you and your heirs safe. And the only cup with 5 sizes to fit any man, any size.
How to put a cup in boys? ›
To wear correctly:
First put on your NuttyBuddy® Lock compression shorts. Then put on your NuttyBuddy® jock over the top of the shorts. Place the NuttyBuddy® athletic cup between compression shorts and jock. This will allow it to "float" with the movement of your body.
Why was the cup invented? ›
In ancient Mesopotamia, cups were made for a variety of purposes, possibly including the transportation and drinking of alcoholic beverages. There is evidence that the Roman Empire used cups throughout Europe, with notable examples including silver cups in Wales and a color-changing glass cup in ancient Thrace.
Do girls like guys in jockstraps? ›
Many men and women will agree: Jockstraps are sexy. Not only does the snug fit and lift of a jock add hefty definition to the genitals, but also makes butts and thighs look firmer and more defined. Because jockstraps minimize fabric, you'll also show off more of those abs and pelvic area.
What age should a boy start wearing a cup? ›
“A child needs to wear a cup as soon as they start playing contact sports,” advises Slocombe. “For some kids, that's as early as age 5.” In addition to offering much-needed protection, starting early helps kids learn to think of the devices as essential sports equipment.
Do all baseball players wear athletic cups? ›
The catcher will also have protective equipment, including a helmet, facemask, throat guard, chest-protector, protective cup (this is NOT optional) and shin guards. All other male players should consider wearing a protective cup, especially those in contact with the ball and sliding opponents often (i.e infielders).
Should my son wear a jockstrap? ›
In the same way, all boy athletes need to wear something to protect the groin area when they start playing sports. If your son plays a contact sport – like football, soccer, baseball, basketball or hockey – he should wear a cup made from a hard plastic or metal as soon as he is big enough to fit in one.
Nutty Buddy, formerly known as Nutty Bars, are a snack manufactured by McKee Foods under the Little Debbie brand since 1964.
Why were jockstraps invented? ›
The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys working the cobblestone streets of Boston.
Is there a comfortable athletic cup? ›
Comfy Cup® provides light protection in a comfortable—and kid-friendly—design. Unlike the typical hard plastic versions, Comfy Cup is soft and flexible.
Can you wear an athletic cup all day? ›
Most athletes often ask if they should keep it on all day to keep their parts in place or if they should remove it when they are done playing sports etc. It's not that you can't wear an athletic cup or a jockstrap all day, it's just that why would you want to wear it all day.
What does a cup do for men? ›
So these include sports like hockey, football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, or obviously mixed martial arts. But what exactly is a cup if you've never had one before, it's a cup that's designed to fit your testicl*s inside of it that will prevent it from any impact.
What sports do guys wear cups? ›
Who Should Wear Them. Protective cups should be the norm for hard-hitting sports with speedy objects, such as hockey pucks. Cups are also necessary in hockey, football, baseball, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, mixed martial arts and other contact sports.
What was the original purpose of the jockstrap? ›
More specifically – cyclists who were having a rough time on the cobbled streets of Boston, MA. Too much jostling and .. well you can imagine. The jock strap was designed by the company BIKE in 1874 as an “athletic supporter” that would protect the cyclists' goolies as they cycled about.
Who invented the 1st cup? ›
It's impossible to tell who invented the first cup, since cups have been used since before recorded history. In all probability, the first cups humans were using were probably just empty shells that would be used to scoop water from a river, since using the empty shell would hold more water than a cupped hand.
How old is the jockstrap? ›
The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys working the cobblestone streets of Boston.
When was the athletic made? ›
Our roots. The Athletic is the brainchild of Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann, former colleagues at the fitness tracking app Strava. In 2016, they founded The Athletic with the goal of building the best newsroom in sports, filling a void for fans hungry for deeper sports news and better coverage of their local teams.
