Healthy living requires an active lifestyle. For many, competitive sports are the key to staying fit. Sports and other recreational pastimes provide much-needed exercise, boost mental acuity, foster a healthy sense of competition and bring busy families together. Whether your family enjoys bicycling, hockey, golf, softball or soccer, you likely have a large collection of sporting equipment which poses a storage dilemma.
For many families, the garage becomes the dumping ground for the family’s sports equipment. Basketballs, soccer balls and softballs roll around the garage. Bikes are dropped in the driveway or in the middle of the garage, getting run over or blocking access to the garage. Car doors get scratched or dented as little ones attempt to retrieve riding toys or as older children try to maneuver scooters and bikes through the garage. Bats, hockey sticks, skateboards and bicycles create a tripping hazard.
A garage cluttered with sporting goods is more than just an eyesore or an inconvenience. It can cause expensive damage to vehicles or dangerous injuries due to a fall. However, you can organize sports equipment in your garage in just three easy steps.
Clean Up Your Act
The first step is the hardest. Begin by cleaning out your garage. To create organization from chaos, start with a clean slate. As you remove items from your garage, use this time to purge. Donate or give away outdated or unused items. This includes items your children have outgrown or no longer use. Junk broken furniture, toys and sports equipment. Get rid of unnecessary duplicates. This leaves less to store.
Cleaning the garage may seem like an overwhelming task. However, it’s an ideal weekend project that goes quicker with a few helping hands. If the children help, they’ll have more of a stake in keeping the newly organized space clean.
Map Out the Space
Before returning everything to your garage, create a layout for storage. Establish task-specific storage zones. Create zones for sports equipment, automotive products, gardening supplies, garbage and recycling tools, etc.
Consider the space required to store items from each zone. Leave enough clearance for bicycles and the lawn mower when vehicles are parked inside the garage. Place each zone in the area most convenient for performing related tasks. For instance, in winter, shovels and salt should be placed near the garage door. Now that you have a clear idea of where everything should go, it’s time to create an organized system for storing sports equipment and other items.
If You Build It, They Will Organize
It may seem impossible to get kids to cooperate when it comes to organizing the sports equipment and putting it away neatly. However, once a simple, consistent organization system is in place, it’s easier for everyone—including kids—to put their things away. The key is creating a designated spot for everything.
There are a variety of organization systems available from peg board to storage bins and other DIY options. In an unfinished garage, the studs can provide a place to store hockey sticks, baseball bats and other sports equipment. These options may be ideal for storing some things, but abysmal for storing others. For unlimited flexibility and a more polished look while keeping items easily accessible, a garage wall organization system can’t be beat.
Slatwall consists of 1’X8’ PVC panels that are waterproof and mold resistant. The panels are slotted, for use with complementary hooks, baskets and shelves. Each panel is secured to the wall studs. The system is scalable, so start with one or two panels or opt for floor to ceiling installation. It’s up to you.
The real magic of this system is its flexibility. The slots accommodate countless storage configurations. Hang baskets for storing softballs or soccer balls. Install hooks for hanging sports bags or uniforms. Mount a shelf to hold cleats or helmets. If you’re a multisport family, and space allows, create sections for each sport or family member. When the season changes, it’s easy to rearrange the configuration to accommodate a different sport. Specialty hooks or shelves can be used to store bicycles, skateboards, skis and more.
A wall organization system is ideal for storing sports equipment. However, the corresponding baskets, hooks and shelves make it ideal for storing everything from gardening tools and lawn chemicals to automotive fluids and household chemicals. Once your wall organization system is installed, simply store each item you’ve elected to keep in a designated spot within its respective zone.
Sports equipment is essential for active families. Finding a way to keep it all organized can be an ongoing challenge. A wall organization system, with its sturdy, slotted wall panels and wide array of corresponding storage accessories, creates an organizational foundation on which you can build to meet the needs of your family’s busy lifestyle. This flexible organization system makes it easy to keep the family’s sports equipment organized in the garage.
Ready to organize your sports equipment in three easy steps? Request a consultation today.
