Sporting equipment is not easy to store. It starts innocently enough with a tricycle, t-ball stand and a couple random balls. Quickly, the gear multiplies into helmets and skate boards, roller blades and soccer equipment. If you are lucky it ends there.
In my home, I have four active children, and myself, involved in multiple sports throughout the year plus all the recreational equipment. Rather than tossing it all in the garage and hoping for the best; corral the chaos.
How to manage sports gear:
Divide and conquer
Instead of large categories, divide into sports-specific piles. All the baseballs, gloves, bats and batting helmets go together, likewise with the other sports equipment in your home.
While balls may seem like an obvious grouping, practically speaking, tossing the baseballs in with the soccer balls, footballs and tennis balls is not the best way to keep things organized. Take it from a mom who has had the “ball tub” dumped to find just the right ball. Do you really believe your children and all their friends are going to voluntarily put the balls back where they found them?
Thin the herd
While going through your sports gear, pull out the items that are no longer useful. If no one in your family plays tennis, consider selling the rackets to a resale shop, or giving them to a charity. It can be hard to part with expensive items, but selling or donating can ease the pain, and guilt.
Off-season
There are certain items that can be stashed away after a certain point each year. I am thinking of the pool noodles, life jackets, camping equipment and football. Soccer and even baseball tends to go year-round in my home, so these items need to stay accessible.
Maximize your space
There are three ways to keep your sports gear organized; look up, think vertical and make it easy. Numerous products are available to help store equipment. You could spend lots of money on specialized racks, containers and totes, but first see what you have available.
Look up. Slip hockey sticks and pool noodles along the ceiling of the garage. Bike hooks can be used to hang bikes and netting can be strung up to hold a lot of excess balls in the off-season. Be sure to install these securely, you do not want a mountain bike crashing down on your car.
Think vertical. Hanging bars, baskets and hooks can be used to keep equipment on the walls. I have one wall of my garage dedicated to sporting goods. There are skate racks and baskets, hooks for snowboards and very clever ball claws for the much used basketballs. This nifty contraption holds the basketballs individually, keeping them from rolling under the car.
Easy enough for a child. Even if the child in question is fully capable of crossing the street by themselves, or even operating a car; their sports storage needs to be extremely easy to manage. My son’s football pads and helmet is tossed immediately in a large wire mesh container, so it stays contained, airs out and can be pulled in to wash separately. Even easier. When equipment is used frequently, such as through the summer months, consider making it extra easy. Throw jump ropes, playground balls, and other outside toys in a clean trash can or heavy plastic tote to keep it handy.
If you need more incentive for organizing the sports equipment, consider this; the better items are cared for, the longer they last. For example; balls that are put away do not get run over by the car, and the football pads do not turn into chew toys for the puppy.
More by Sylvie Branch:
12 Important sideline guidelines for parents
Tips for the new sports mom
Avoid heat related injuries in young athletes
Help prevent ACL injuries in young athletes