Caring for Sports Gear

[Carmen S]

You've gotten your child signed up for a sport. She may have attended a practice or two, and you've spent what you may feel is a small fortune outfitting her for practices and games. Attend any game or practice and you'll probably see piles of gear laying around completely unattended. Scout any field after a game and you'll see abandoned equipment, much of it in shreds and left to the elements. Don't waste your hear earned money. Instead, let's talk about: How do you protect your investment?

• Sharpies and labels are your friend. It's trite but it's true for a reason. Put your family name on everything you own, down to every tennis ball, every golf tee and every soccer ball. Mabel's Labels makes a terrific line of sticky labels for just about everything, and it's an easy way you can involve your child in keeping track of their own gear.
  
• Nag, nag, nag. You know you hate to do it almost as much as they hate to hear it, but some kids need that constant reminder. If you really just hate to nag, make a checklist for both before and after practice.
  
• Wipe it down. Sports gear gets dirty, sweaty and gross. Prolong the life of the shin guards by popping them in the washing machine and allowing them to air dry. Open up boxing gloves so that the sunlight can get inside and then store them with a dryer sheet tucked inside. Use deodorizing sneaker balls (available in sports stores) into smelly cleats and gear bags. Tell your child, "Sunlight is your friend" and teach them to never put gear away wet. (All together now - euwwww!)
  
• Pack it up. Having a gear bag raises the odds that your child may, indeed, come home with most of their gear. Having a bag to carry everything means no more juggling with balls, shin guards, hats and other pieces of equipment.
  
• Have a place for everything. That tired advice that your dad gave you over and over? Yeah. It still fits. Try to get your child into the habit of returning his shin guards to the cabinet and his cleats to the shelf after every practice. Teach your child to store deodorizing balls in his cleats and to return the tennis racket to the bucket. If you don't have a designated location for sports gear, it's never too early to begin!
  
• Collect some spares.  Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, gear falls apart, gets misplaced or swiped or soaked after a game. Yard sales, swaps with other team members and sports resale stores are inexpensive places to pick up an extra soccer ball or pair of football pads.
  

What is your favorite way to take care of your athletes sports equipment?

[natesmom1228]

My sons fencing gear is in a fencing bag. His foil (sword) can be cleaned and polished by used steel wool on it. His jacket and glove can go right in the washer and dryer.

[KimmyPoo]

I just buy new ones!!

[jen113000]

 I make sure I always collect my sons gear and put it away in the same place, that way it's safe and doesn't get lost..

[Jess1231]

Great tips, we did most of those while my son played t ball.

[nngmommy83]

These are great tips! I always have Natalli put her stuff away in the same place and she has a soccer bag where she keeps essentials.

When she did karate we wiped down her sparing gear before putting it away

[PurpleHazey]

Quoting jen113000:

 I make sure I always collect my sons gear and put it away in the same place, that way it's safe and doesn't get lost..

Thats what we do.

[Barabell]

Great tips. I learned a couple new things. Thanks!

[amberdy]

We keep their soccer bags on hooks in the garage with their cleats, balls and extra shin guards. I also wash and air dry shin guards once a week. And I NEVER dry their uniforms, just air dry them.

[amberdy]

And, soaking dirty uniforms in oxyclean works wonders.

[Miranda1127]

 IDK...lol. I guess we just have a bag for everything and we maintain it as needed. I guess dd is pretty good w/ her stuff....she treats like some sort of trophy. Which is pretty awesome I suppose.