Equipment Preparation

Now is the time of year that a majority of college and high school baseball teams across the nation are coming to an end. That means the teams will be packing up their equipment until next season. Probably the last thing on most coaches’ minds is preparing for next season. Preparing for next season can come in a lot of forms. It can be going to clinics to learn the newest coaching theories. It can be going on the recruiting trail for those college coaches. It can also mean taking an inventory of equipment and making sure everything is in working order before the start of the next season.

The great Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach once said, “Spectacular achievements are always preceded by unspectacular preparation”. Taking an inventory of equipment would definitely fit under unspectacular preparation. Coaches know the practice time is limited and the last thing a coach wants to do is start practice and realize some of the equipment is not in working order. This will cause deviations in the practice plans and can take weeks to get the equipment in to do the drills the coach wants to do. Doing the inventory well in advance of the start of the season is a very important thing to do. An inventory consists of making sure the equipment is in working order before it is put into storage and also checking over the equipment for wear and tear looking for things that have potential to be a problem next season.

The off-season is the perfect time to find what equipment needs are for the next season and come up with a fund raising plan to get the equipment needed. Having a good plan in place for these type of things is part of that “unspectacular preparation”. Off-season is also the time to research new drills for practice and what equipment could be purchased to help improve the efficiency of practices. It is also the time to consider purchasing items to protect your equipment. Field covers and pitching machine covers are two things that can be used to protect your investment.

So before you put your baseball season behind you and go have the awards banquet night, take time to inventory the equipment to make sure it is ready for next year. Then make sure it is properly stored away safely. Whether you are riding high coming off a state championship or talking about how you are going to rebuild the program, it is always a good time to plan for equipment needs.