Phil Seguin honours friends, faith, and passion with Wraps Performance

Out of over ten thousand students enrolled in Ryerson's Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM), and the entire school population, there is no story quite like Phil Seguin's.

The shortstop, hailing from around Belleville, Ont., runs his own company in Wraps Performance. The brand specializes in adjustable wrist sweatband-like equipment for fellow baseball players.

"The best way I've been able to describe it is as a hybrid compression, wrist tape-sweatband-arm wrap."

Seguin was quick to comment on the support Wraps provide him from his spot in the infield. "It gives me great support. It feels like I can throw harder."

Over the last five years, Wraps has seen plenty of success, from his Rams teammates to the Show.

"I just sent Jose Bautista some," said Seguin with a laugh while his cat intruded on his Zoom call.

Before getting his products to Bautista in perhaps his biggest deal to date, Seguin overcame quite a few hurdles, both on and off the diamond.

Fortunately, Seguin has settled well into Ryerson's TRSM after taking a gap year and a lone year of business in Oshawa at Ontario Tech University.

Ryerson's hands-on nature and commerce-based learning quickly struck the shortstop.

"Ryerson is a commerce program. (It) focuses a little bit more on the financial side of things. You normally wouldn't even start to touch on those until second or third year. But Ryerson was pretty intense with it."

Meanwhile, the idea behind Wraps took shape years ago as Seguin played in traveling tournaments and watched the Blue Jays.

"Every time we went to a Jays game, every time we're down in New York, in Watertown doing a tournament, at Dick's Sporting Goods - I'm looking for compression wrist tape, (and) never found anything."

Summer programs and his family's background in technology allowed Seguin to start working on a Wraps mockup.

Seguin Spotlight - Wraps

^{Seguin demonstrating his Wrap technology, alongside an early advertisement for the product.}
"March of 2016, I had a prototype. It was around prom time, so all the seamstresses in the area were making prom dresses. I'd ask them: can you sew these two strips of fabric together?"

Shortly thereafter, Seguin had come up with a producible version with the right fit and support for a fielder's arm.

"I did my first round of production, which lasted a year or two. Then, about a year ago, I did my second round overseas. That was when we really started getting into the business side of things."

As a first-time business owner, the shortstop had some early scares and challenges.

"I was down to my last 500 bucks and products were not moving. My ads weren't great, my branding wasn't great. This was the first year or two and I'd never done this before."

Seguin credits some of his business learning for helping Wraps stay afloat in its infancy.

"For Wraps - I think it would have tanked (in the) first year if I hadn't been able to understand the accounting equation and stuff like that."

Without the support of his friends and community, Seguin knew he wouldn't be able to succeed. However, only a select few of Seguin's friends helped the brand from the jump.

"When I first started Wraps out here (around Belleville), it was not very well received. When I first announced Wraps, it was like crickets amongst my closest friend groups."

Along with a few other teammates, Seguin's younger brother Daniel was a Wraps fan from the start. "He's been supporting me. He's the one usually modeling with me in the Instagram pics."

Another constant in Seguin's journey was his friend Jamie Ferguson, who he frequently saw at the gym.

Ferguson encouraged Seguin to approach Bautista and a group of other Major Leaguers in the first place. Initially, Seguin wanted to wait until his graduation to reach out to professionals. However, as Seguin recalls, Ferguson said, "Dude, why don't you do that right now?"

Seguin took Ferguson's advice and reached out last October. Less than two months later, Bautista responded. However, a combination of nerves and a renewed COVID-induced quarantine forced Seguin to delay shipping off his Wraps to the former Blue Jays star.

Tragically, Ferguson passed away in January after an accident.

"And I still hadn't sent the Wraps," said Seguin.

Seguin said he received the grievous news about Ferguson just a week after a tragic ice fishing accident in the Bay of Quinte near Belleville.

With two tragedies less than a month removed from his family's Christmas celebrations, Seguin seriously pondered his values going forward.

While Seguin is still dealing with the recent tragedies, he knows he can reach out to his Rams baseball team. Seguin still sees his Rams teammates in the gym when he can.

"They're like your brothers pretty much. There's probably half a dozen of them that I'll be friends with for the rest of my life."

His bond with the baseball team was cemented last season when Wraps' success forced him to temporarily step away from the team in the playoffs. When Seguin reunited with them during the offseason, he was embraced by coaches and teammates before even offering an apology.

The shortstop hopes to be back on the diamond as soon as this Spring.

His business, which runs with "faith, structure, and honesty," continues to do well. Seguin also hopes that Bautista's acquisition will attract more attention to Wraps, which currently has over 13,000 followers on Instagram.

Seguin happily mentioned the Bautista experience without hesitation. However, he knows that it wouldn't have been possible without continued hard work or support from friends like Ferguson.

"The biggest moment has been (with) Bautista. And Jamie will not see it through - but I will. That's the plan and it will be done through faith."

A memorial for Jamie Ferguson is available here: https://intelligencer.remembering.ca/obituary/jamie-ferguson-1081504386

Follow @WrapsPerformance on Instagram to see Seguin's business grow.

For more profiles on our student-athletes, stay tuned to ryersonrams.ca

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Players Mentioned

#8 Phil Seguin: SS; 2

Players Mentioned

#8 Phil Seguin
: 2
: SS

Players Mentioned

#8 Phil Seguin

Players Mentioned

#8 Phil Seguin