Get In The Game!

Dump evvverything onto the floor—preferably a clean house or garage floor, not a grassy or dusty field. Begin by sorting out the broken or worn out stuff. Employ a little tough love to what you’ve collected and use a discerning eye. Don’t give items that you wouldn’t want yourself. You aren’t wasting anything because items that are useable, but not in tip top shape can be donated to your nearest Goodwill. Toss the junk in the garbage.

Done? Good. Now wash it. These items will be travelling a long way and you don’t want kids to receive stinky or moldy sports equipment. Some countries have strict agricultural laws and don’t allow anything containing dirt or plant life across their borders.

All right, after everything is sparklingly (is that a word?) clean, you are ready to sort. Pick an organizational style that makes the most sense to you. Deflate the balls and throw in a few, small hand pumps, which can be purchased at any local sporting goods store for around $10. Fold matching uniforms in team sets of eight or more. Keep pairs of shoes together by tying their laces to each other. P.S. shoes must have laces.

Gather packing materials. We’ve found that duffel bags or team backpacks/bags are great for packing. That way they are easily transportable by plane as carry-on luggage. If you didn’t collect those and don’t have any extra bags lying around, pack your items neatly into boxes.

While you are packing, keep a tally of everything you’ve collected. Label bags, boxes and backpacks with their contents.