Our Story
Founded by Kurt Benkert, former QB for the Falcons, Packers, and 49ers, The Dime Lab was born from a simple idea: make the gear we wish existed.
The Problem
After stepping away from professional football, Kurt wanted to keep enjoying the game—whether it was tossing with kids in the neighborhood or throwing on the beach by his home in 30A, Florida. The problem is, most backyard footballs are either:
🚫 cheap toys with no real grip or feel
🧽 pro high-maintenance balls that takes hours of prep and can’t survive the elements
The middle ground didn't exist. So Kurt teamed up with co-founder Matt Blakely to build it.
The Breakthrough
The mission was simple: a premium football with instant grip, real durability, and a feel you'd notice the first time you threw it.
Dozens of prototypes later, we landed on DimeTack™ Technology — tacky from day one, soft on the hands, and built to perform in any condition.
🧤 Instant Grip — no prep, no break-in
🙌 Softer Feel — play longer without the sting
💧 Handles Getting Wet — grip returns once dry
🎯 Built for Control — raised laces and stitched stripes right where it counts
Same grip, same feel, every ball — because the details are the whole point.
Innovation in the Water
We took the same approach to the water game. Most “water footballs” are flimsy toys—fun for a few throws, but impossible to use like a real ball.
Our solution: the patent-pending Water Football with silicone grip lines placed exactly where throwers want them. The result? A ball that throws like a premium game ball—whether you’re in the pool, at the beach, or on the lake.
The Journey Ahead
What started as an idea and a prototype is now a full-service warehouse and content studio in 30A, Florida, where every order ships directly from our team. We've put footballs in the hands of over 100,000 customers, earned a 4.78★ average across thousands of reviews.
Our products are also in hundreds of retail stores across the US in Scheels, Dicks Sporting Goods and Academy Sports.
And we're just getting started. More products, more ideas, more balls we wish existed. Whether it's on the field, in the backyard, or out on the water, we're here to help you elevate your game — and we're stoked you're along for the ride.
For the latest, follow the founders — Kurt Benkert at kurtbenkert.com and Matt Blakely on LinkedIn.