Unless you live in Hawaii or some other tropical destination that the weather never changes, you probably have sports equipment that is only used during one season of the year. This equipment may include baseball, soccer, basketball, or swimming items. And, since you can’t use these items throughout the year, you have to store them during the off-season. These hints may help you decide how best to store your sporting equipment so that it’s ready for you when next year's season arrives.
Before you decide which items to store, you might need to think about which items you want to keep. Go through the equipment that you need to store and decide if you will actually continue to use those skates or not. What about the old soccer ball that’s all scuffed up? Didn’t you get a new one just a few weeks ago? If you have some items that you’ve outgrown either physically or emotionally, you might consider giving those items away. This will lessen the amount of storage space you will require and just might make someone else's day.
After determining which items you could part with, the next step to consider is ease of access. You don’t want to store equipment that you know you’ll be using someplace out of the way. The old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind,” and for good reason. If you store your sports equipment in the attic, you may forget you even have it and go buy more, which will be extra money spent needlessly.
If you have a decent sized storage area, consider using garbage cans to store hockey sticks, baseball bats, ski poles, and any other tall sports items. Keep these type of items stored in a can twice the height of the items to ensure safety. If storing them vertically isn’t possible, try installing hooks on the walls as an alternative.
Sporting goods stores have great ideas for displaying sports equipment. Use some of their ideas for your own storage problems. Purchase mounted racks to hold similar sports equipment. For instance, you will want to store all your boots and shoes together so they are easily accessible when you need them.
Don’t leave the various sports balls on the ground. Use baskets, mesh bags, or duffle bags to hold them and hang the bags from the ceiling to keep them off the floor. Don't forget to store your pump with the balls as well.
If the local schools are redecorating, check to see if they have any old lockers for sale. These would make a great place for storing your sporting equipment. If you can’t find any lockers at the schools, check online.
Whether your equipment is used often during the summer or not, you will eventually need to put it away for a season. By following these suggestions for storing sports equipment, you will be better organized when it's time to play again next year.
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