How to Maximize Garage Storage for Sports Equipment

Everyone who keeps sports equipment in their garage knows that it can quickly take over if not stored properly. But keeping your gear neat and tidy doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. We have a few simple steps to follow when deciding on sports equipment storage in your garage.

Pare down

As is the rule with almost every type of organizing task, the best way to start is by sorting through your belongings and only keeping what you need. Make three piles of sports equipment: one each for keeping, selling/giving away, and trash. It is much easier to figure out sports storage solutions when you know exactly what you have to work with. Many towns have online yard sales or freebie sites where you can list your unwanted items, or you can always make use of Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. You’d be surprised to see how quickly people will take unwanted sports equipment off your hands!

Store like items together

Storage experts agree that like items should be stored together, mainly to make it easiest on yourself when trying to find what you’re looking for. But what do you consider to be “like items?” This is open to interpretation, so you can categorize in whichever way makes the most sense to you, but one common approach is to categorize by sport. For example, if you own a lot of hockey gear, you would store it all together in one section of the garage. Another approach is to categorize by type of gear, like storing different types of balls in the same part of the garage. We recommend sorting items in your driveway or yard first so that you can visualize what makes the most sense to you before putting everything away in your garage.

Find the right sports equipment storage solution

Here comes the fun part—finding the right garage sports organizer. There are loads of options out there in a wide range of prices, and you can typically find what you need at your local home improvement store. You’ll want to consider a few factors, such as the types of items you are storing and the volume of sports equipment you own. Here are a few common sports equipment storage solutions:

Space-saving slatwall systems allow you to customize your garage sports storage any way you like. A slatwall system consists of grooved wall panels that you affix to your wall in sections. This is a versatile solution that you can build off of by adding hooks, ball bags and shelves.
A garage cabinet is a great option if you have the space because it keeps all of its contents concealed and out of the way. You can even add little baskets or dividers inside each individual shelf to accommodate smaller items.
Utility hooks are an ideal way to store items that can be easily hung, such as ice skates, golf bags and helmets. By utilizing available space on the walls and ceiling, you can maximize the size of your garage without cramming too much onto the garage floor. Just make sure you get the right size hooks to handle the weight of the items you’re hanging.

Now that you’ve read this far, you should be ready to start mapping out the ideal approach to organizing your sports equipment. With the warmer weather just around the corner, you may want to set aside a mild weekend to get this done. Trust us, you’ll thank yourself after!

When using your garage for sports equipment storage, it’s important to protect the valuable items contained within by making sure that your garage door is always functioning properly. If you find yourself in need of garage door services ranging from basic maintenance to garage door installation, the Champion Overhead Door team is always here to help.