Our No Errors Story

NO ERRORS  was founded in 2004 with a simple mission: Building baseball and softball bags that were more versatile, feature-packed, durable, and cosmetically appealing than any other bag on the market.

BEFORE THERE WAS NO ERRORS

To truly understand the NO ERRORS brand, you first must know what the sports scene was like before there was NO ERRORS.

Like many growing up, baseball and other sports had been a passion of mine. Long before the days of travel ball and club teams, I can remember spending countless hours on a country farm road fielding balls with whoever I could find to play with me; using a hand-me-down leather glove and an old beat-up wooden bat. Sometimes we would hit rocks in place of balls. We would always try to imitate the variety of professional player swings.

Needless to say, it was far more primitive than what’s available to young athletes  today, however, those wonderful days fueled in us a love, not only for baseball, but for sports in general. There was  something very pure about being in total love with a game, and over time it would help define my own  character.

We would try to get opportunities to see our favorite players perform, and then we’d spend countless  hours trying to imitate that player endlessly with rep after rep. It had nothing to do with using them as a hitting instructor to perfect our swings, or a pitching coach for our pitching. It was simply because we  truly loved it and couldn’t get enough of it.

A COMMON LOVE

Some of the most enjoyable experiences in my younger adult life, while in high school and college, were meeting other players with the same amount of passion for the sport that I had. That passion and real love for the game helped develop many friendships, and created some lifetime memories. Both the good and bad experiences that the sport provided, for myself and so many others, improved our lives  and made us healthier people. Those friendships, common interests, and passions became the foundation for what would later become NO ERRORS.

OFF TO WORK

Fortunately, sports provided an opportunity to attend college and earn a degree. Soon after, it paid bigger dividends than  I had expected as I would finally earn a paycheck for being a part of a game that  I loved! No, there was no MLB contract or multi-million dollar deal, but somehow I found my way working for one of the most recognized sports brands in the world. I thought I had won the lottery, even though  I was simply answering customer service calls each day. That first professional occupation provided me a wealth of experience speaking and learning about products I truly enjoyed.

As I and my work experience continued to evolve, I discovered a number of things about myself that made me even more driven about sports in general. I loved watching, learning and being part of how sporting goods products were conceived and developed, and eventually how those products took on a life of their own.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

After 10 years of learning, developing and being part of something I loved, I started to find that there was something missing. Although I had nothing but respect for the workers and mentors around me, I noticed that some of them had become complacent, and were missing that drive to create products that would separate our brand from our competitors. I noticed that one of the key categories seemed almost forgotten. At the same time, I discovered that it was not only our company that had lost its spirit in this category, but many other leading brands had as  well. It was as if we weren’t hungry for  perfection anymore. Things seemed to be getting stale; something needed to change.

A TRUSTED FRIEND WITH THE SAME PASSION

The power of sport can create friendships that endure long after the game is over. An old friend with whom I shared many wonderful experiences and memories inspired me to act; It wasn’t only  I who had discovered this, he had too. His passion for baseball and sports had put him in the same career space that I was in, working for another world known sporting goods brand. Our conversations led us to one conviction: Some things in the game had changed, but the desire to make great products for the sport  we loved shouldn't be one of them. It was time to make a difference. It was his encouragement that made NO ERRORS a reality.

IF WE BUILD IT RIGHT, NO ONE WILL CATCH US

In those early years, it was easy to see one major void in the bag market that the major brands had overlooked, or simply disregarded. Club ball catchers seemed left behind when it came to equipment bags. We saw over the years that even though participation in baseball had dropped, the amount of games being played had tripled. But the bag category was being seriously neglected. Brands were building products that  couldn’t  stand up to the regular abuse these avid players were dishing out. Nor were the makers incorporating some basic features into their bags that everyday players needed. At the same time, catchers carried the most gear, and would often carry two bags to support all their equipment needs. We knew that  our first product out of the gate would  be a new kind of catchers’  bag.

WHAT WILL WE NAME HER?

Perhaps my favorite story about the beginning of NO ERRORS is how we came up with the name. We were trying to develop a brand name for our first product, now known as the NO E2; It was another old friend with that same shared passion - who also wore the tools of ignorance - that we reached out to. As we were talking, he told me about what’s now known as the "NO-E"....the NO ERRORS logo. He had created a personal reminder that he needed to become mistake-free, and work toward a perfect game. He had drawn a "NO E" logo on a piece of white athletic tape and stuck it over the brand name on his catchers’ mitt, as a constant reminder that attaining a perfect game meant NO ERRORS.

That thought process, and innovative execution, was exactly what we were all about. We deeply loved the game, and all  the effort that went into  being as good as you could possibly be. Whether it be baseball or any other sport, there was something about that message that was right on target - Do something because you love it, do something because you have a desire to be great at it. Not because  you’re  looking for recognition, but because  you’re  looking to be your very best, striving to be better than you were the day before.

WHAT INSPIRES US TODAY

Much has changed with our youth sports over the past 20 years. Travel sports have become a big business and a serious investment for many households across the country. It seems that everyone is looking for their athlete to be highly recruited and playing on one of the best teams in the area, state, or country. It’s  quite understandable, and a very worthwhile investment. We, however, like to look at the  process a little differently. We like to think of it as  “where old school meets new school”.

We hope that what inspires us will inspire you as well. Pushing ourselves every day to be better than we were the day before; understanding that to be truly great at something, you need to really and truly love it. Finding your passion, and enjoying it as if this were the last time you will ever get to do it. We realize that setbacks are only a part of becoming who we want to be at the end. This is when we find out who  we are and what we need to do to be better. Treat the people around you with respect and always do what’s right even if it is easier to do wrong. Don't be afraid to tell others to do the same. Holding ourselves and our community accountable, knowing that this will only elevate us all. Apologize when you make a mistake, and learn from your mistakes.  Dream big and most importantly - cherish old friends, continue to make new ones, and make sure they stay a part of your journey.

My name is Ron Reed, founder of NO ERRORS. And this, is Our Story.