Organizing Your Sports Equipment

Problem: Your storage space is limited, which means your coats will have to learn to share.

Consider this: Make the most of that empty space behind the closet door with an over-the-door rack that can hold bats, balls, helmets, and even team jerseys.

Another option: The Grook Tool Holder, with its row of specially designed rubber loops, lets you store sports equipment in three ways: Thread the item through a single loop, snap it between two loops, or hang it from one of the hooks on the front of each loop. Mount the Grook to the back of a closet door, or secure it to a wall inside the closet.
To buy: $30, containerstore.com.

Use what you've got: A hanging shoe organizer will hold mitts, helmets, balls, and so on. Because the open pockets keep everything visible and accessible, you won't have to rummage through the depths of your closet to find that lost golf glove.

Problem: There's a bit of space to spare, but everything is out in the open―so neatness really counts.

Consider this: The all-purpose 36-by-18-by-38-inch Rubbermaid Sports Organizer comes with a removable mesh bag for lugging equipment to and from the field. It also features plenty of hooks and compartments for keeping bats, hockey sticks, and rackets upright and at the ready.
To buy: $40, amazon.com.

Another option: Open, stackable storage containers let you see what's where while keeping everything in its designated place. And when your little athletes (or husband) decides to retire from the sporting life, you can use the containers to store winter-weather items, such as gloves and scarves.
To buy: $9 each, containerstore.com.

Use what you've got: Any coatrack will have hooks to hang mitts, gloves, and helmets. The umbrella slots can handle tall items, like bats and hockey sticks.

Problem: Though you have plenty of room out there, the place ends up looking like an obstacle course.

Consider this: Tim Fooks, a designer for Home Depot, recommends buying a pegboard with 1/4-inch holes, as this size holds more weight than others. Hooks come in 1/8-, 3/16-, and 1/4-inch sizes (the last is by far the most common and popular). A pegboard with 1/4-inch holes will accommodate all three sizes of hooks, but be sure to hang only lightweight items on the skinny ones, so they won't pull out of the larger holes, says Fooks. (For tips on setting up a pegboard, see use a pegboard for sports equipment storage.)
To buy: $11.50 for a four-by-eight-foot board (ask a salesclerk to trim it to the size you need), homedepot.com for store locations.

Another option: Set up color-coded storage bins for each family member. "Or assign a bag to each person. Then everyone can simply grab his and go," says Mat Kee, who was head manager of the football team of the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville. If your family tends to share items, divide the bins by sport.
To buy: Canvas Utility Totes, $6 to $13 each, bedbathandbeyond.com.

Use what you've got: A tall plastic or metal container is perfect for storing items such as hockey and lacrosse sticks (just make sure it's at least three-fourths the height of the gear or it could topple over).