- April 18, 2024
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Hailey Tucker at a United States Women’s National Team soccer match. Courtesy photo
Screen shot from Hailey Tucker's virtual presentation at the NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge semifinals.
Screen shot from Hailey Tucker's virtual presentation at the NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge semifinals.
Hailey Tucker's logo for the Custom F.C. WinMaker Cleats. Courtesy photo
Because of the pandemic, Flagler Palm Coast High School junior Hailey Tucker did not get to travel to New York City to participate in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s national competition.
But the virtual experience was just as rewarding. Without the sightseeing.
“It was an awesome opportunity. I met many other entrepreneurs, and I had a lot of fun doing it,” Tucker said.
After advancing through school, district and regional competitions during her sophomore year, Tucker competed in the NFTE's National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Oct. 21.
“I enjoyed talking and pitching about something I love.”
HAILEY TUCKER
She pitched her business idea – the Custom F.C. Winmaker Cleats – to a panel of judges. Tucker competed against 32 other high school students and would-be entrepreneurs from around the nation.
She advanced through the quarterfinal round to become one of 12 semifinalists. From that group, three finalists were chosen from three virtual rooms of four competitors each.
Carissa Lombardi of Providence, Rhode Island, was the finalist chosen from Tucker’s room. Lombardi’s proposed business was an app called Legislation Navigation that would translate legislative language for laypeople.
“I enjoyed talking and pitching about something I love,” said Tucker. “It was a good opportunity to learn more about the business world and entrepreneurship and the different components that go into a successful business.”
Tucker, a soccer player at FPC and Florida Elite Soccer Academy, came up with the idea for her business after struggling for years to find cleats that fit her feet, were in the colors and designs she liked and wouldn’t fall apart after one season.
Her WinMaker cleats would be customized to a player’s foot shape and have a wide variety of design options. Her $245 price tag, however, seemed to be a sticking point during the question-and-answer session.
“The price point is a bit harder for people to grasp if they’re not soccer players,” Tucker said. “I find I’m paying $300 for a pair of cleats that doesn’t last long and still gives me blisters.”
She still has one more event to "attend," the virtual Expo booths, which were postponed because of technical issues.
Tucker said she would like to work in the soccer industry after college, but maybe not with cleats. She said she still may follow through with her business plan at some point. In the meantime, she has learned a wealth of information that she can pass on.
“I didn’t know exactly how much goes into a cleat until I researched it, which ones are for that higher level of play,” she said. “I know what to look for in a cleat for my position, defensive backfield and some midfield. There are a lot of different brands with a better fit that last longer that not a lot of soccer players in the U.S. know about. All the information I learned I want to pass on to other players.”
