Keeping track of all the uniforms and equipment for multiple sports — and sometimes multiple children — is a challenge. Here are some ways you and your child can work as a team to ensure they always have what they need.
Label everything: Every piece of equipment and part of a uniform should be labeled. Not only so your child can distinguish it from teammates’ belongings, but also so parents can distinguish one child’s baseball glove, soccer shorts or helmet from their other children’s equipment. Labeling also makes it easier to put items away when there is more than one person in the house doing laundry. Sometimes this just requires using a Sharpie to write a name on a jersey or pair of shorts, but personalized labels, such as Mabel’s Labels, are also great for sports bags, water bottles and the inside of shoes.
Accessible location: The most important organizing decision you’ll make in terms of organizing sports equipment is where you’ll store the items. Wherever you and your kids most often enter the house makes the most sense, but if there are no options near your front door (the hall closet can’t accommodate coats, shoes and sports equipment), think about other options that have ample space where everything can be stored together. The garage is a fine option for balls, sticks, pads and other large (and often smelly) items that are brought home in between practices and games. A mudroom or a side hallway with hooks also works. Just make sure your kids know the floor by the front door is not an appropriate drop zone.
A bag or bin for each sport: Have a specific place where items belong so everyone in the family knows where to store them. An easy way to do this is to assign each child a designated bag for each sport. If you use bags, they don’t have to be fancy name-brand sports bags; a small tote or a pull-string bag will do. If you’re using bins, it’s better to use something that can be easily wiped clean instead of a basket or fabric bin. Either way, label the bags or bins clearly.
