Coach Fields New Career As Inventor

Jill Cakert says girls softball changed her life. Cakert, 52, is now an assistant coach of the Atlantic City High School varsity girls softball team.

One thing Cakert didn’t like about coaching softball was hollering across the field to instruct her players, which caused her to lose her voice when her team participated in multiple-game tournaments.

She invented something to solve her problem, reports the Press of Atlantic City.

She devised the Sport SignalFan. It is six, 11-inch, plastic, solid-colored blades – blue, white, black, red, green and yellow – held together at the bottom with a screw or a metal ring that makes it easy for players to read signs from coaches while keeping opponents guessing.

“When you speak to any coach, they will all complain that kids miss signs. We don’t like to lose games because of missed signs,” Cakert said.

The blades allow for thousands of different combinations based on the direction, number and position of the blades. The SignalFan can be used with any sport that uses signals, including softball/baseball, basketball and soccer, Cakert said.

SignalFan use has spread to teams in 16 states and Canada due to Cakert’s attendance at coaches clinics and people stumbling onto her Web site, SignalFan sells for $24.99.

“I invented it for the kids. It works as well as I wanted it to work,” Cakert said.

Photo by Press of Atlantic City.

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