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Post by postcrack on May 18, 2012 11:52:00 GMT -6
So I posted about information about carrying out fakes and got some great ideas.
Another one of my duties this upcoming year will be running the equipment room. This will be my first year doing so and wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions on things to do or not do. Ways to limit frustrations and etc. Don't want to half-arse anything and would like to be able to do this effectively but not have it take me away from the actual "coaching" side of things by spending time running around getting socks and stuff.
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Post by newhope on May 18, 2012 12:55:00 GMT -6
Here's my suggestion: get someone else to do it.
No, seriously. Here's my story: At my last school, shortly after I was hired, a guy comes to me and says "I handled equipment for the previous coach, and I'd like to do that or whatever I can to help your job be easier." I wasn't sure about this, but told him he could help. Well, six years later, I never did anything other than order equipment. He did it all (including re-designing and re-building the interior of the equipment room. He came by practice several times a week and checked every player's equipment. We helped him with the initial issue of equipment, and he handled the rest. He inventoried. He washed and dried. I could go on and on....it was unreal. Of course, good luck in trying to find someone else like him. But it's an idea if you have someone who wants to be involved but who isn't really a coach.
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Post by coachwoodall on May 18, 2012 13:59:25 GMT -6
1- If you don't know xcel, learn it.
2- Number every single of piece of equipment you hand out. Place each set of pads in a series IE helmets are 100s, girdles are 200s, belts are 300s, etc... If you program is big enough, or maybe you have varsity, JV, freshman, etc.. equipment in the same area you might have to have the series be in the thousands, 1000s, 2000s, etc... Use a sharpie for cloth/shoes, an engraver for the helmets and shoulder pads.
3- Have only 1-2 coaches that handle equipment and have keys that access the equipment. So if a players says, "coachwoodall I want/need a new helmet", all I say is, "Go see Coach XXXXXX". I usually verify to that coach that he really needs it, but I don't touch equipment except when I help with inventory, mass hand outs and take ups. This is how you make sure what a kid should have, and not have.
4- Have your wash pins correspond to the locker that player uses, not his jersey number. That way when wash is done, it can go into their locker. If you can't/don't want to do that, see #5 and make them big enough for both.
5- If you don't have cubbies, built some. All game cloth stays in the cubby for that player, not his locker. When it is time to hand out jerseys, socks, etc..... they come to the window and simply tell you what number their locker is. Also keep a list nearby to verify who is in which locker.
6- Have periodic locker sweeps. This best done when they kids are out to practice (but you can do during down time) to make easier and faster. Take every piece of football equipment you find and store it away, because no matter how anal you are about issuing and recording stuff, you'll find a locker with 2-3 pairs of cleats, 4-5 knee pads, etc...
7- Damaged equipment policy is that any issue has to be handled AFTER practice, not before. This eliminates you having to be late to practice b/c Jimmy needs his face mask fixed, needs a new buckle, etc... Same is true if their is a need to exchange equipment.
8- If possible it is helpful to have a computer in the equipment room to manage all the info, but if you don't and use a printed xcel book, WRITE THE NUMBERS DOWN IN PENCIL.
9- Any time there is an issue with the old, "Somebody stole my thigh pad" routine, simply stop practice and have the entire team pull out their thigh pads.
10- Storage. The time to figure out how much storage you need is NOW while all the equipment is in storage. If you look around and think you have just enough for everything, you don't. You can never have too much. Come up with a system for where everything should be. Then make a map of it and post it in the storage room. Now if somebody comes in to help you, they have a layout of the room. Also, just because equipment is in the locked storage room, it doesn't mean that it is safe. If you school was built before 2012, then there are keys floating around that can get someone inside your equipment room. Put locks on cabinets, boxes, drawers, etc... This will help to discourage somebody from 'just borrowing this for a minute'.....
11- No player ever enters the equipment room without a coach escorting him in and staying with him to solve his equipment problem.
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Post by Chris Clement on May 18, 2012 19:05:08 GMT -6
I don't think I would stress over thigh pads, knee pads etc. Hand them out, collect them, but if one goes missing I wouldn't be killing myself over it. Tape them together in pairs, because they're a pain in the rear to put pairs together when there's 100 kids at once.
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Post by coachwoodall on May 18, 2012 19:43:55 GMT -6
the devil is in the details.... and thigh pads are the devil...
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Post by mbianco on May 19, 2012 7:58:03 GMT -6
One of the best things we have done is move to the integrated girdles. Everything is included in them except for the knee pads. We no longer have to worry about kids saying my butt/hip/thigh pad got lost/stolen. Only have to worry about the knee pads.
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