Almost all sports involve special clothing, equipment, and leaving the house… even walking my dog!
Here are 8 steps to get your sporting equipment organized and have everything you need when you need it! Note that this post contains affiliate links to products I have bought and used.
- Get a bag for EACH sport and each person.
I know it seems like you could use the same bag for different sports, but trust me… one person… one sport… one bag.
Find the perfect bag for the sport. A cinch sack is perfect for ballet and a duffle works great for soccer.
If you are in your 3rd season of ANY sport, buy the special sport bag. Can you imagine golfing without a golf bag? Each sport has a perfect bag.
- Create a custom checklist for each bag.
How many times have you been on your way to a sporting event and forgot “x,” “y,” or “z”? Yep, me too.
The easiest solution is to take half an index card and write down EVERYTHING you need for each event. Take that card and put it in a luggage tag attached to the sports bag. Check the tag each time before you leave the house.
- Buy MORE of anything you can!
Buy extra bobby pins, shin guards, uniforms {if you can}, and water bottles. Even buy 2 soccer balls and designate one for the car {don’t take it out of the car!} and one for practice only!
The less you HAVE to wash/replenish during the week, the better!
- Keep the sports bags and uniforms in the car, garage, or laundry room.
I repeat, DO NOT let ANY sporting equipment or uniforms make it into a bedroom! 🙂 Washing uniforms in under 24 hours for back-to-back games is hard enough. Don’t add a scavenger hunt to your list of to-do items.
- Stock a “Mom Bag.”
A thermal lunch bag works great for this.
My favorite items to keep on hand at all times are:
- Protein bars
- A deck of cards
- Cell phone charger {already charged} 🙂
- Small notepad & pen
- Cash {$20, a few singles, and some change}
- Gum, hard candy, mints
- Camera
- Stock a “Spectator Bag.”
Change out your spectator bag seasonally as the sporting event you go to changes. Some items to consider are:
- A blanket
- Jackets
- Umbrella
- A towel
- Laundry bag {for wet or dirty shoes and sporting equipment}.
- Buy garage organizers.
Once you hit the third season of ANYTHING, buy an organizer for that sport. I wish I would have bought these bike racks when my kids first started riding bikes! In the podcast, I said I thought they were $30, and they might have been, but they are now less than $10!
And this is my FAVORITE ball organizer. We used ours for 13 years and just took it down. So much more practical than a large bucket of balls!
Here are some more great garage organizers. Just click the picture to see the product on Amazon.
- Clean out the car!
Keeping the “home on wheels” clean and organized is a job in itself! Here are some tips to keep your car cleaner and more organized while you enjoy all your family’s sporting adventures.
- Take the first 15 minutes of your kid’s practice to clean out the trash and straighten your car.
- Put a trash can IN your car. It is a game changer. 🙂
- Keep kids’ school bags in the car so they can study and you can clean them out.
- Consider putting your Sunday Basket in the trunk of your car and going through it at practices.
**EVERY SUNDAY** empty out and restock the car!
