By Dale L. Strauf, E.M.C.
Originally published in the A E M A  J o u r n a l  Vol. 2, No. 1 1996

IT’S PROBABLY A SAFE BET THAT THE STORAGE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AREN’T GOING TO BE DECREASING IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, INNOVATION WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORDER AND CHAOS IN THE EQUIPMENT ROOM.

With each new season, the degree of specialization in athletic equipment increases. Manufacturers are continually trying to develop that perfect line of equipment and as a result, each athlete on a team seems to have equipment designed exclusively for their position. In the past, the main area of specialization had always been protective equipment, but now we are seeing this trend in the areas of footwear, clothing, and accessories for many different sports. Never before have our student-athletes had such a variety of equipment to choose from. While this diversity is certainly welcomed by equipment managers, it has also created some problems in the storage and organization of athletic equipment. The storage and issue facilities have not expanded in direct proportion to the equipment specialization movement, which has given those individuals involved in equipment management a new challenge: to rearrange their existing areas to accommodate this new equipment. The purpose of this article is to identify some tactics that will help you to meet this challenge.

INITIAL CONCERNS

Equipment rooms should be organized in a manner that will allow item issue to flow smoothly. Therefore, equipment storage areas should be planned to receive, process, and issue items with little, if any, wasted movement or space.

There are three tips to facilitate these procedures:

1) locate the laundry operation within the equipment room

2) make sure equipment that is issued on a daily basis is more accessible than equipment that is out-of-season or issued less frequently

3) if space is a problem, equipment that is not presently being used can be stored in a secure location outside the main equipment issue area and rotated as the seasons change.

Four other important concerns associated with a storage area include: security, ceiling height, wall construction, and climate control. In term of security, each entrance to the equipment area must be well protected against forced entry. If possible, the doors should be metal with metal casings. Ceilings must be high enough to accommodate the largest items that will be store in the area. Continued exposure to dampness will damage many types of equipment used in athletics, especially leather items. Therefore, it is also advantageous to avoid choosing a storage space where the walls are partially or completely below grade, as these areas tend to be where moisture gets drawn into the building. The ideal temperature for storing athletic equipment is 65 to 70 degrees, with humidity in the range of 30 to 40 percent. The room should also have good ventilation.

FIXED STORAGE SPACES

When evaluating storage possibilities for an existing issue area, it is important to identify space that is not currently being used and figure out how it can be transformed for equipment storage. For example, many people look at a ceiling or a wall and all they see is a ceiling or a wall. The innovative equipment manager, however, can look at the same ceiling and wall and see storage possibilities.

Walls and ceilings are perfect for mounting two by- fours and attaching hanging hooks, which are ideal for many types of equipment, such as hockey and lacrosse helmets and gloves. These hooks also provide storage for a laundry pin and bag issue system: Practice clothing items are issued, stored, and laundered in a mesh bag with a numbered laundry pin, and the pin bags are hung in numerical order on the corresponding hooks.

PORTABLE UNITS

All of the storage ideas that I have identified to this point are of a fixed nature, that is, these storage systems cannot be easily moved. Often, however, it is more convenient and efficient to store items in systems that are portable. Many manufactured storage units are equipped with casters so that the entire unit can be very easily moved to an issue area, or even directly to a locker room, and although they do cost more than fixed units, the time and effort saved often justifies the extra expense.

Portable hanging racks are ideal for issuing game-day uniforms and other clothing items in a central location. In addition, transporting out-of-season items on racks from one location to another ensures that their numerical order won’t change as they are moved, Portable storage units such as helmet trees and shoulder pad racks, designed specifically for protective equipment, are essential for proper storage. These units allow equipment to be stored in a manner that will maintain its shape and protective qualities.

Helmet trees are great for all types of protective headgear. They hold up to 64 helmets, each hung from a foot-long bar that goes through the ear holes. On the tree, helmets can be separated by size and facemask design, simplifying issuing and inventory. Each helmet tree is mounted on casters so that the unit can be transported to the designated issue area. When not in use, the units can then be moved to a more remote storage area.

Shoulder pad racks are designed to allow the pad to be stored in a natural position that will not distort its shape. Casters allow large amounts of protective padding to be moved with very little effort. These racks are manufactured in a variety of models, the two most common ones being the two-saddle and four-saddle models. The light weight of the two-saddle models make them ideal for transporting pads to central issue areas. The storage capacity of the four-saddle models make them ideal for long term out-or-season storage. As with helmet trees, the pads can be separated by model and size to help facilitate issue and inventory.

Laundry carts can provide temporary portable storage for cloth items that are ready for return to the student-athletes. Using the carts, pin bags and game or practice clothing can be transported from the laundry to the central issue areas or locker rooms. Laundry carts also provide excellent storage for protective padding and cloth items during the off-season, You may find what is available from the manufacturers will not always prove efficient for your space requirements.

One problem that often arises is that long vertical spaces are needed, but shelving can only be adjusted horizontally. In these cases, constructing your own storage units—with the help of the custodial or carpentry staff—is a good solution. For example, at Cornell University we had problems storing ice hockey protective equipment using standard racks, so we built our own special unit. There are vertically arranged spaces in the middle for shin guards and hooks on its sides for helmets and gloves. Wheels allow us to move it to the back of the issue area for storage and roll it to the front when the team comes through. The unit looks like a monster bit it works wonderfully for issuing equipment to our hockey team. One word of warning: Be sure to check the size of all door opening that the unit will need to pass through before constructing your own portable units. A unit that will not fit through a doorway will not possess the portable qualities that are desired.

EXTRA SPACE

Another effective way to utilize existing space is by evaluation overhead space. Many older equipment rooms have extremely high ceilings: in fact, it is not uncommon to find equipment areas in older facilities with ceiling heights that are in excess of 20 feet. This provides an excellent opportunity to almost double your storage area with a lightweight mezzanine. The resulting storage area is ideal for out-of season items and equipment can be rotated from the mezzanine to the main issue area as it is needed.