With youth football season coming to a close and the high school season winding down, it is time to begin offseason preparations.

Once leagues have properly collected all the equipment, storage becomes the next priority.

Simply tossing helmets and pads in a warehouse and forgetting about them all winter is an easy, but ill-advised habit for leagues to fall into.

Storing football equipment properly keeps it in good condition. Maintaining high quality equipment means fewer pieces of broken and defective gear. This makes the game safer for young athletes and the money saved through proper storage can be spent on improving the league in other ways.

Kyle Borland, the vice president of institutional sales for equipment manufacturer Riddell, says having the proper facility is an important first step to extending the life of your equipment.

“It is similar to a toy that sits out in a yard all day,” Borland said. “It can be affected by extreme temperature, both hot and cold, moisture and excess sunlight.”

Borland recommends keeping equipment in a sheltered, temperature controlled area with plenty of air circulation. He said there is no one-size-fits-all facility because needs vary by league, but that larger facilities with open space are more conducive to air circulation.

“I would recommend not stacking the equipment,” Borland said. “Shelving units will always work best. The goal here is to obtain air circulation. Stacking equipment will never be as good as proper shelving or racks. If you are limited to a small storage space and you have to stack, then stack upside down. If you stack right-side up, the pads at the bottom have the potential to be crushed and lose their shape. This approach also allows for greater air circulation.”

Keeping the storage facility heated is key to keeping equipment dry and free of cracks. Pads that stay damp all offseason can grow mildew, which is a big problem.

Borland says equipment only needs to be cleaned once, if done properly, during the offseason, but that not all pieces of equipment are alike.

“Helmets should always be reconditioned by an authorized reconditioning facility to ensure they continue to meet NOSCAE standards,” Borland said. “Shoulder pads should never be submerged into any type of liquid and should only be cleaned by wiping with either soapy water or disinfecting spray. Allow for time to air dry.”