The Hayworth Ledger
chronicles of our ongoing story
Build Upon the Good Episode 39: Justin Lea, Founder of Hayworth Athletic
Soccer is the biggest sport in the world, but we never talk about the origin of the soccer ball or where they're made. Justin Lea, Founder of Hayworth Athletic, went on a quest to find out and it landed him in northern Pakistan, where over 70% of the world's soccer balls were made (3 million balls per month!).
After witnessing the terrible conditions of the workers, Justin set out to create an amazing soccer ball and bring good to the world by helping the people that make them. Hayworth Athletic was born. This is his Build Upon The Good story.
Hayworth Athletic, headquartered in Austin, TX, designs soccer balls with a good cause behind them. Hayworth soccer balls are worksop-made in the ancient Andean village of Mongui, Columbia, a community with a century long tradition of ballmaking.
Justin's story isn't just interesting, it's inspiring. He seeks to uplift others and bring dignity to the those that make them and their "craft."
We need more people and businesses like Justin and Hayworth Athletic, which seek to also better the world. We also give a shout out to our good friend JP, who connected us.
Please follow Hayworth Athletic at www.HayworthAthletic.com, follow them on social media and definitely buy their soccer balls!
www.BuildUponTheGood.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
March 9, 2025
Hayworth Athletic in the New York Times
Though they all have similar dimensions and are made from similar materials, slight alterations in design can make a marked difference.“The more ‘perfect’ a ball is, the more likely it is to be erratic,” says Justin Lea, founder of ball manufacturer Hayworth Athletic. “They all have their own personalities. If you look at the FIFA ball rules, there are ranges for everything. A ball can only retain a certain amount of water if a field is wet. There’s a range to the sphericity of the ball and the bounce of the ball.”
January 8, 2025
Hayworth Athletic on KUT Radio’s ¡VAMOS VERDE!
Austin FC backup goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland tells us how he got into Dartmouth, how it felt to win the CONCACAF Champions League with Seattle, and how he felt on his dream debut for Austin FC in the Leagues Cup. Also, Hayworth Athletic’s founder Justin Lea tells us how he avoided dying at the hands Mexican cartels, drove through Europe in his modified truck, and then decided to make the worlds best soccer ball.
Episode: September 26, 2024
Humans United FC with Joe Shaw
One Beautiful Ball (ft. Justin Lea)
In 2012, Hayworth’s founder discovered that seventy percent of all the world’s soccer balls (three million balls per month) were made in one city in northern Pakistan, in a place called Sialkot. He knew he had to go there, he had to see it with his own eyes.
There, he explored the phases of ball making, the factories, the layers of production. He went to the homes of stitchers, and he listened to and watched the people who made the balls. He absorbed all he could of the industry’s complexity, the beauty of the craftsmanship and the massive teamwork involved in the making of a ball.
But he also saw something much darker – an industry rife with grueling labor conditions and exploitative low wage practices. He was as unsettled as he was inspired, and he knew that this would become one of the great endeavors of his life – to build a beautiful soccer ball, and to build it in a beautiful way.
In this episode of the podcast, Hayworth's founder, Justin Lea shares his perspective of the beautiful game! He shares how he first got involved with soccer and what ultimately brought him to think about a better way to design our soccer balls.
It's been our pleasure to have Hayworth Athletic as the sponsor for our show this whole season and we felt it made sense to bring Justin in to share the story of Hayworth, enjoy!
Season 2, Episode: July 3, 2024
LISTEN HERE
Grinnell Magazine
Hayworth Athletic: An Ethical Approach to Soccer Ball Manufacturing
In Grinnell Magazine, the article highlights Hayworth Athletic, a company founded by Grinnell alum Justin Lea (‘01). Lea’s company, based in Austin, Texas, produces high-quality, hand-stitched soccer balls in Mongui, Colombia. What sets Hayworth apart is its commitment to fair wages, paying workers four times the industry norm in an industry often plagued by sweatshop conditions.
Lea’s inspiration came while running a youth soccer league in New Mexico and learning about poor labor practices in soccer ball manufacturing. After years of planning and research, Hayworth launched in 2023 with the Hayworth Standard Ball, a premium product that meets FIFA standards.
Hayworth Athletic combines ethical production with quality craftsmanship and plans to expand into soccer apparel. By focusing on fair labor practices, the company aims to offer consumers an alternative to mass-produced soccer balls, promoting ethical choices in the sports market.
April 5th, 2024
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE