On September 30, 2026, my son Jameson and I walked into the Tank on ABC's Shark Tank with Ollyball® and the official Keepy Uppy® ball. It was a great day as an inventor and as a dad. Here's what it was like, and where we're taking the Keepy Uppy® ball next.
Saying yes on the third call
The show had invited us twice before, and both times I said no, it just wasn't time yet to take what we had to the world in a larger story. When the third call came, the timing was right; I had written a roadmap in 2022 that included partnering with someone in 2026. We filmed in June 2026, with Jameson right beside me.
Pitching with my son
Jameson is 11, and he was born weeks after the first prototype. Having him next to me, helping show the Sharks the Ollyball® and Keepy Uppy® ball, is a memory I'll keep forever. Whatever happened in that room, we were doing it together.
We took home a win from the Tank with a $250,000 deal from Lori Greiner, a true pro and fellow Chicago native. Even better was seeing something we built for our own kids win over people who have heard thousands of pitches. If there's one thing I hope families take from our episode, it's this: keep dreaming, and don't let anyone talk you out of it.
What's next: the Keepy Uppy® Sports Association
Shark Tank was a milestone, not the finish line. In September we announced the Keepy Uppy® Sports Association (KUSA), a new nonprofit youth league built on the Keepy Uppy® ball.
I've coached four youth sports and signed my own kids up for 12 different leagues. I've seen what youth sports get wrong: rising costs, pressure to win before kids can master the basics, and business models that treat families as data. KUSA is our answer.
- One rule, four sports. Don't let the ball touch the floor. Kids play soccer, pickleball, tennis and volleyball with the same Keepy Uppy® ball, so families can see what a child loves before committing to one sport.
- Improvement over winning. Our motto is Semper Meliora, "always better." The goal is for every child to get just 2% better every practice and every game.
- Affordable and gear-included. Seasons include the ball, a league jersey, and nets and equipment, with no pay-to-play ladder.
- Private by design. The coming KUSA app will handle scheduling and a simple skills check, and that data stays with the family. Nothing is shared, sold or used for marketing.
- Built to grow. Schools, community groups and volunteers can run licensed leagues in their own towns. Our goal is 5,000 licensed leagues by 2030.
Why the Keepy Uppy® ball works for young players
The Keepy Uppy® ball weighs about 1 ounce and is engineered to move slowly through the air while still bouncing and reacting like a real sports ball. That extra hang time lets young kids track it, get into position and make contact, so their first try at a sport becomes an early win. The ball is protected by U.S. Patent Nos. 10,179,266 and 10,953,289, and Keepy Uppy® is a registered trademark of Victury Sports LLC.
Get involved
Want to bring a Keepy Uppy® league to your school or community? Visit the Keepy Uppy® Sports Association page. You can also catch up on the Shark Tank coverage on our press page, learn the rules and games, or get your own Keepy Uppy® ball.
Thank you to everyone who watched and cheered us on. And thank you, Jameson. Semper Meliora.
Joe Burke, founder of Victury Sports and inventor of the Keepy Uppy® ball