Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joseph Pompo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joseph, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

For years, sports teams at the technological bleeding edge have employed wearable GPS monitors to track player movement, workload, and effort. These devices revolutionized training by providing insights into overall usage, speed, distance, and acceleration. But now, the industry is evolving beyond just tracking the athlete—we’re embedding sensors directly into the equipment itself, whether that’s a ball, a stick, or even protective gear.

This shift is happening because teams and players are realizing that athlete tracking alone doesn’t tell the full story. GPS monitors can show how fast a player runs, but they don’t tell you how quickly a quarterback releases the ball, how a lacrosse player changes their shooting mechanics under pressure, or how quickly a goalie reacts to a shot in real-time and whether their first movement was in the most efficient direction.

The next frontier in sports technology is capturing moment-to-moment interactions between the athlete and the equipment, providing a level of analysis that was impossible just a few years ago.

A great example comes from a pro lacrosse team we worked with recently. They were already using GPS monitors to track player movement, but when we introduced the R1 Smart Lacrosse Ball, everything changed. Suddenly, they weren’t just looking at how much a player was running—they were seeing how quickly a player got a shot off, how their release time compared to opponents, and how their shot speed changed over the course of a game. One midfielder discovered that he was losing power late in games, leading his coaches to adjust his conditioning program. Another player realized his shot angle was predictable, making it easier for goalies to read. None of this would have been visible with GPS data alone.

The impact of this trend goes beyond training—it’s changing the way teams make decisions. Coaches are using this technology to refine strategies, broadcasters are integrating it into live game coverage, and even youth athletes are leveraging it to accelerate their development.

Of course, with new technology comes new challenges. The biggest concern is data overload—too much information can be overwhelming if it’s not presented in a way that’s actionable. That’s why our approach at GET REPS is to focus on delivering the right insights at the right time, ensuring that data enhances decision-making rather than complicating it.

Sports are becoming smarter, and the future belongs to those who can harness this new wave of data. Wearables were just the beginning—now, the game itself is becoming the sensor. The technology era of sports is here and we are now seeing significant financial investment in the industry.

When we started this company four years ago, we could hardly get potential investors to see the vision, but today Private Equity and Venture Capital firms are seeking us out and as that enthusiasm continues so will the velocity of change.

By the end of the decade I fully expect that teams will be practicing with a fully integrated technological ecosystem and broadcasters will be talking more about what you can’t visually see on the field more than what you can.

Joseph, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Joe Pompo, co-founder and CEO of GET REPS, where we’re redefining sports training and game analysis through embedded IoT technology. My journey into sports technology started with my lifelong passion for lacrosse. I played at the Division I level, and like many athletes, I was constantly looking for ways to train smarter and improve faster. Through the thousands of hours spent training and practicing, I realized something: traditional training methods were built on repetition but almost never included any real feedback. If you wanted to get better at shooting, you just took hundreds of reps and hoped you were improving. There was no real-time data, no way to measure progress beyond guesswork.

That’s what led me into this industry. I became obsessed with how technology could bridge the gap between training and performance. My focus wasn’t just on wearable sensors, which track athletes from a distance, but on embedding smart technology directly into the equipment itself—the ball, the stick, the gear athletes actually interact with. This was the missing link between movement and mechanics—not just knowing how far or fast someone moves, but how they execute the most critical moments in their sport.

One day, while working as an executive for one of the largest automotive dealer groups in the world, I was struck by a business idea a lifelong friend had and at the end of his description, he paused for a second and summarized what he had just described in a brilliantly simple way: “It’s Peloton for lacrosse.” Those simple words united my entrepreneurial spirit with my dreams of inventing something impactful.

At GET REPS, we have developed the only highly durable SmartCore technology capable of withstanding the extreme forces of competitive sports. Our proprietary core can endure impacts of up to 85,000 G’s—nearly twice the force a golf ball experiences when struck with a driver. In comparison, no other smart ball on the market can withstand more than 5,000 G’s, making existing solutions fragile and impractical for high-impact training and gameplay. By engineering a core that seamlessly integrates advanced sensors and electronics without sacrificing durability, we’ve created the first truly game-ready smart sports technology.

Our flagship product, the R1 Smart Lacrosse Ball, is a testament to this innovation. As the first embedded IoT lacrosse ball, the R1 provides real-time feedback on shot speed, release time, movement, and mechanics. It transforms skill development by making the most critical aspects of training measurable. Whether it’s a high school athlete refining their shot or a professional team analyzing season-long shooting trends, our technology delivers unprecedented, actionable data that was never available before.

Building on the success of the R1, we are now expanding our SmartCore technology into other sports, including football, pickleball, golf, hockey, baseball, and more—delivering real-time data on speed, spin, impact, distance, and trajectory. This cross-sport application underscores our commitment to revolutionizing athletic performance with precise, data-driven insights.

Beyond training, we are actively working to bring real-time sports data into live broadcasts. While we can’t speak about it publicly yet, sports fans will soon experience ultra-advanced statistics integrated directly into game coverage. Metrics like a goalie’s reaction time, player possession trends, and shot mechanics—previously invisible to the naked eye—will become instant insights for fans, coaches, and commentators.

At GET REPS, we are engineering the future of sports technology, bridging the gap between training, competition, and fan engagement by making every moment measurable.

What Sets Us Apart

What makes GET REPS unique is our focus on seamless technology integration. We don’t want athletes to change how they train—we want to enhance what they’re already doing. Our embedded sensors don’t disrupt the feel of the ball, our data collection doesn’t require a setup of cameras and wearables, and our insights are designed to be simple, clear, and actionable. We turn raw data into real coaching moments.

Beyond that, our Smart Core technology isn’t limited to lacrosse. We’ve developed a universal, high-impact-resistant IoT core that can be added to essentially any ball or piece of equipment. In 10 years, GET REPS will be the leader in intelligent sports training—across all sports. We hear from players, parents, and coaches all the time that the R1 Smart Ball has transformed their training, helping them track their progress and push themselves in ways they never could before. It’s not just a cool gadget—it’s a tool that makes a difference.

And as we move forward, our vision is clear: sports technology should empower athletes, not replace intuition. We’re not trying to take the human element out of coaching or competition—we’re giving players and teams the tools to make smarter decisions, improve faster, and elevate the game itself.

For athletes, coaches, teams, and even broadcasters—GET REPS is changing the game. And we’re just getting started.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When my co-founder and I first set out to create the R1 Smart Lacrosse Ball, we thought the path forward was clear. Smart sports technology was gaining traction—there were already smart baseballs on the market, including one sold nationwide at DICK’S Sporting Goods. We assumed that developing a lacrosse-specific version would be a relatively straightforward adaptation. After all, measuring all of the important baseball pitching mechanics is significantly more complex than accomplishing the same in any other sport, lacrosse included. If a smart baseball could exist, surely a smart lacrosse ball wouldn’t be much harder.

We were dead wrong.

Our first wake-up call came when we started testing existing smart baseballs. We wanted to learn from what was already out there, but what we found was shocking—none of them could withstand the actual demands of training. Every single one required controlled environments, soft landings, and had warnings advising against real-world impact. Pitchers couldn’t even throw them into a catcher’s mitt without damaging the electronics inside. That’s when we realized that no one had actually solved the problem of making a smart ball that could be used in gameplay and training without having to modify the way you played—not in baseball, and certainly not in a sport as aggressive as lacrosse.

To bring a smart lacrosse ball to market, we knew our ball had to withstand tens of thousands of high-speed collisions with brick and concrete walls—because wall ball isn’t just a training drill in lacrosse, it’s the foundation of skill development. Players throw the ball at a wall, catch the rebound, and repeat—over and over, at speeds of up to 115 mph. A ball that couldn’t survive this wasn’t a product, it was a gimmick.

So we got to work prototyping our first versions—and that’s when the real engineering nightmare began.

Electronics shattered on impact.
Batteries failed after just a few hard shots.
Wireless connections cut out mid-session.
Every fix led to another failure.
It felt impossible. After countless failed prototypes, we genuinely questioned whether it could be done. We even considered limiting how hard the ball could be thrown or restricting training to netted bounce-backs—but that wasn’t the product we had set out to build— we feared our product would be lumped into the pile of “also rans” along with all of those smart baseballs.

At a crossroads, we made a decision: go all in.

And when I say all in, I mean we bet everything on GET REPS.

Events with friends were missed.
Family gatherings were canceled.
Workdays stretched from 6 AM to 6 PM, followed by a three-hour break with family, only to get back to work until 3 or 4 AM—for nine straight months.
No pay. No safety net. Just sheer determination.
This level of dedication and sacrifice wasn’t just ours—it belonged to our families, our team, and everyone who believed in what we were building. They fueled the fire when we needed it most.

And it paid off.

That final push led us to a breakthrough. We realized that the solution wasn’t about reinforcing existing technology—it was about completely re-engineering the approach from the inside out.

That’s how we developed the Smart-Core—a fully protected IoT core that could survive the rigors of elite training without compromising the feel of the ball. It wasn’t just a milestone for GET REPS—it was a first for sports technology as a whole.

Now, the same durability breakthroughs that made the R1 Smart Lacrosse Ball possible are guiding our expansion into other sports. With a footprint the size of a few quarters stacked up and configurable into multiple form factors, the SmartCore is small enough to be embedded inside a golf ball or can lay flat inside protective equipment. A dream of creating a smart lacrosse ball has blossomed into fielding calls from some of the biggest players in sporting goods about licensing our technology. We are truly blessed to be able to live out our dreams.

Looking back, we laugh at how simple we thought this journey would be. But in reality, it was the impossibility of it that made us even more determined to succeed.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building a strong reputation in sports technology—especially with embedded IoT in sports training equipment —requires more than just innovation. GET REPS has earned its reputation through relentless problem-solving, delivering real value to athletes, and proving that our technology isn’t just another gadget—it’s a game-changer. Here’s how we’ve done it:

1. Solving a Real Problem, Not Just Building a Product
Many companies in the sports tech space launch products that look exciting but don’t actually address an athlete’s core needs. We took the opposite approach.

The R1 Smart Lacrosse Ball wasn’t created just because we wanted a smart ball—it was built because players needed measurable insights to improve their game. Athletes measure everything–their bench press, their 40 yard dash time, etc.— everything except the actual output that they are looking to improve through all of that training. They build their bodies so they can shoot the ball faster, but they weren’t measuring their shot speed.

From a hardware perspective, we focused on durability and making a ball that performed exactly like a traditional ball, making sure our technology enhances training rather than disrupting it, but the software is where the magic is. Lacrosse players love our product because:
1. They know they improve using it.
2. They know that they are naturally driven to want to out rank their teammates and rivals on our leaderboards so they put in more time training.
3. They know our trainings are insightful and impactful and conceived by the brightest minds in the sport.

Coaches love our product because:
1. They see the players improve on the field and they have the numbers to back it up
2. They have the ability to stay connected with their players during the days between practices
3 .They have new ways to motivate and create competition among their team.
We didn’t stop at individual training—we built towards team-wide adoption and even league-level broadcast integration, showing that GET REPS isn’t just for players—it’s for the entire sport.
Because we solved a problem no one else had truly figured out, our reputation has grown not just as a company that makes smart sports equipment, but as the leader in making that technology viable at the highest levels of competition.

2. Proving Our Technology Works—On the Field, Not Just in a Lab
Reputation isn’t built on promises—it’s built on proof.

We didn’t just test our ball in controlled environments—we put it through real-world use with elite athletes, high school players, and club teams to ensure it could survive and deliver accurate, actionable data.
When skeptics thought smart balls would never be durable enough, we proved them wrong by developing the Smart Core and then we doubled down on our commitment to delivering uncompromising sports technology by offering a full 1 year warranty to make sure that potential customers know exactly how strongly we stand behind our product. This commitment stands in stark contrast with the rest of the sport. The vast majority of the manufacturers of lacrosse heads and shafts only offer warranties of 30 days. None offer a full year. We are betting that our customers will appreciate our commitment and become raving fans of out products.

By letting our product speak for itself—on the wall, in the stick, and on the field—GET REPS has established credibility that no amount of marketing alone could ever achieve.

3. Earning Trust Through Relationships and Industry Partnerships
A strong reputation isn’t just about what you build—it’s about who trusts you.

We’ve built strong relationships with athletes, coaches, and teams, ensuring that our technology meets the needs of those who actually use it.
Professional leagues and high level organizations have taken notice, looking at GET REPS not just as a product provider but as a company shaping the future of sports technology.
By working with real athletes—from youth players to pros—we’ve developed a brand that is trusted at all levels of the game.
When the people who play, coach, and analyze the sport trust us, our reputation grows organically.

4. Prioritizing Transparency and Customer Experience
One of the fastest ways to ruin a reputation is by overpromising and underdelivering. From day one, we’ve built GET REPS with transparency and direct communication at the core.

We never hype up features that aren’t ready—if we say something works, it’s because we’ve tested it rigorously.
If something goes wrong, we own it and fix it. Whether it’s customer service, product support, or updates, we make sure every athlete and coach using our technology knows we have their back.
We don’t just listen to feedback—we implement it. Our product iterations are heavily influenced by the players and teams that use them, which keeps us aligned with what the sport actually needs.
This level of honesty and responsiveness has made GET REPS a trusted name in sports tech—athletes know we’re in this for them, not just for sales.

As CEO, I block off 90 minutes per day to go through customer service emails and interactions and shoot our customer’s a message letting them know I see them. It isn’t AI, it’s actually me and the reason I do it is because I know it matters and in return I am provided with not only the best view of where our company stands reputationally, but I often am provided with great ways to improve our product.

When people think about GET REPS, we hope what they see isn’t just a sports technology company—we want them to see a company pushing the limits of what’s possible in sports training, broadcasting, and performance analytics and because we deliver on what we promise, our reputation continues to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://getreps.com
• Instagram: @smart_lax_ball_get_reps
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpompo/

Image Credits

GET REPS