At Converge, we’re passionate about solving engineering problems—big and small—for businesses across the world. But we have a special soft-spot for helping local businesses right here in our backyard. In our latest project spotlight, we had the opportunity to work with Stealth Sports Academy in Gainesville, GA, to design a solution that brings both practicality and innovation to the court.
The Challenge: A Gym in Need of Flexibility
Stealth Sports Academy is a vital hub for youth athletics, offering training and development for a range of sports. But like many multi-use gym spaces, flexibility is key. Their existing basketball goal mount was previously mounted in a fixed location. It took up space even when not in use, limiting the gym’s versatility for non-basketball activities. To make matters worse, the goal was heavily warped from a heavy dunk.
That’s where we came in.
The Solution: A Retractable Basketball Goal, Engineered in SOLIDWORKS
Blake Segars and Daniel Lewis, two of our talented designers, led the effort to reimagine the basketball goal mount. Using SOLIDWORKS, they developed a retractable system featuring a four-bar linkage and a threaded screw mechanism. The beauty of this design lies in its simplicity: with just a screw gun, the entire goal can fold up and out of the way.
This new design doesn’t just free up floor space—it transforms how Stealth uses their facility, giving them the flexibility to accommodate a wider range of programs and events without compromising safety or durability.
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Collaboration at its Best: Local Talent, Local Impact To bring this concept to life, we partnered with King Precision Machine, a Gainesville-based machine shop known for their high-quality fabrication work. They machined the custom parts needed for the linkage system, keeping the entire project local from start to finish. This collaboration is a perfect example of what we love to do: combine our engineering expertise with the strengths of other local businesses to create practical solutions that serve our community. |
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Why It Matters: Small Projects, Big Impact
While the engineering challenge may seem modest, this project highlights how powerful design tools like SOLIDWORKS can solve everyday problems for small businesses. It’s also a testament to the importance of localized support. When businesses like Stealth need custom solutions, they shouldn't have to look outside their community to find experts who can deliver.
At Converge, we’re committed to being that partner—bringing high-level engineering thinking to the heart of our local business ecosystem.
Stay tuned for more local project spotlights in our Design for the Community series. Got a tricky challenge in your shop, gym, or office? We’d love to hear about it.
