If you or a member of your family does sport at any level, you’ll appreciate the amount of stuff which you need to cart around with you. Even a quick trip to the gym means a holdall filled with towel, change of clothes, toiletries and trainers, and for rugby matches or games of tennis you’ll have lots more to bring with you. For kids especially carrying huge amounts of equipment can cause them huge problems, so it makes sense to try and look for appropriate solutions.

Leave it!

Depending on the sort of sport you do, it may be possible to leave some of your equipment at the leisure centre, ice rink or golf course. Many golf clubs, for example, have lockers which can be used by members and this means you can leave your golf clubs, shoes, umbrella and everything else at the course rather than lug it back and forwards every time you decide to play. Obviously security is a major factor, and it is worth investing in a sturdy padlock to protect your kit.

Wheels

It’s always easier to pull or push heavy bags than it is to carry, so for heavy items or for children to use, wheeled sports bags are the ideal choice. Brands such as Zuca sports bags have wheels on and are sturdy enough for a child to pull themselves, or for a parent to pull while a child sits on top. There are also holdalls which have wheels on the bottom, and the choice will depend on how much equipment you have to carry every time you leave the house.

Protection

Many items used for sports such as tennis racquets, golf clubs and ice skates can be worth substantial sums of money and one of the most important functions of any sports bag is to stop things becoming damaged. It is therefore worth buying as protective a cover or bag as you can afford, unless you want to spend even more replacing damaged skates or clubs. A Zuca ice skating bag will give your skates all of the protection you need and will allow you to carry everything securely.

Dirt and Washing

If you play an outdoors sport like rugby, football or hockey, or are the parent of a child who does, you will be familiar with the vast quantities of washing that this hobby can generate. At the very minimum, it is a good idea to have a holdall or bag with two or more compartments which can keep dirty clothes separate from clean things or a packed lunch, so keep this in mind when shopping for a new bag. Having a bag with two different sections is preferable to having two different bags which may just get lost. Try to instill good habits in your sporty child from an early age, and encourage them to load their own dirty kit into the washing machine and sort out the mucky football boots – their girlfriends and wives of the years to come will definitely thank you for it!

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Article by Morag Peers