Two enterprising Cambridge boys have launched their own afterschool business, combining their passion for football with a flair for creative shin pads.
Lenny, 12, and brother Nate O’Leary, 11, originally from Liverpool, England, say they hope to earn a few dollars while learning about business, design and establishing a brand.
Lenny plays for Cambridge Football Club, while Nate is with Melville United in Hamilton.
Looking to earn some money, the brothers came up with a creative business idea: custom shin pads.
Step one was securing a loan from the “Bank of Mum and Dad”, and step two, watching YouTube tutorials detailing the heat press process. They experienced stages of trial and error as they worked out the process of design and printing.
Lenny says: “Myself and Nate have been learning lots about business, how much we spend, profit tax and things like that. We have been using logos and pictures from google to print onto our shinpads, and now we are learning about copyright laws.
“We have been putting lots of time and practice into creating our own images and designs to help us grow our business and create our own unique brand.”
The boys have set up an Instagram page to showcase their work.
If anyone wants to have custom shinpads made, Lenny explains the process.
“It’s so easy; you can get in touch with us on our insta page. If you tell us which team you support and which team you play for and any other interests, we can make up a custom design for you.
“You can send us your own pictures of family, friends or even pets which we can put straight onto your shinpads. Using an art programme on our laptop, we can literally create anything you want.”
Lenny explains that once the design has been agreed, the brothers print it onto a special paper, use heatproof tape to secure it to the shinpad blanks, and then it goes into the heat press.
The final step is sticking cushions on the back, packing them up and getting them out the door.
Dad Ryan has been involved alongside when needed, but he said the project has been driven by the boys.
They’ve given shinpads as gifts for birthdays, and their teammates have started asking for them.
Both boys were selected to be player escorts for an All Whites international friendly when New Zealand played Malaysia on October 14.
They took the opportunity to give a custom set to Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest and Wellington Phoenix captain Alex Rufer.
No guessing who Nate and Lenny O’Leary support in England… Liverpool FC
