Universities around the country typically have at least eight different sports that are offered to men and women. It may not seem obvious at first, but what goes on behind the scenes of the final play, the match point, the last-minute goal, or the winning touchdown, is just as amazing as the end result.
With all of these sports come a lot of stuff—equipment, gear, uniforms, and so much more—and how they are stored and organized has everything to do with the success of a team. Our work with the University of Notre Dame’s football team is a great example of how smart storage can make a tremendous difference in your sports equipment storage room. Take a look at the Notre Dame case study below or contact us today for a complimentary quote.
Working off of a hand-drawn sketch of Head Football Equipment Manager Ryan Grooms’ ideal equipment room, we designed a storage system that utilized a combination of static and mobile shelving—all customized to show off the Fighting Irish pride. The installation is based around four mobile systems, each storing a specific type of equipment—the first being for game and practice gear storage.
To promote the proper storage of shoulder pads, cantilever racks were installed in the mobile system, permitting the pads to overhang at the front and rear. This application allowed full air circulation in contrast to the traditional cubby-shelf for each pad, prolonging the life of the equipment.
Using 4-post shelving and metal hanging rods, we turned a portion of the compact mobile system into a walk-in closet—doubling the amount of jerseys that could be stored in the unit.
Smaller equipment items such as socks and gloves required an efficient method for keeping track of everything, so we again utilized 4-post shelving to create large cubby type sections to divide the items. We also integrated clear bars at the opening of the cubbies to prevent items from falling.
The third mobile system was installed in a separate room and was used solely for helmet storage. The 4-post shelving was customized similar to the player cubbies, although on a small, helmet-sized scale.
Notre Dame has 25 student equipment managers who fold many clothing items. With a team of 80-100 players and a minimum of four jerseys, 2 pairs of pants, 4 practice shirts, there’s always folding to do—and with no space, this daily task became difficult and cumbersome.
To create a workspace without losing storage capacity, we designed a fourth and final compact mobile shelving unit to be at a height similar to a counter. With this modification, 15 students can be folding at the same time. This three-carriage, mechanical-assist system was outfitted with 4-post shelving, doors, and drawers to store small items, parts, and conceal the room’s trash bins. Notre Dame’s equipment staff knew that their student equipment managers were crucial to the team’s success, and wanted them to have a place to keep their personal items as well. For this reason, banks of personal storage lockers were installed independent of the student athlete lockers.
Notre Dame has 25 student equipment managers who fold many clothing items. With a team of 80-100 players and a minimum of four jerseys, 2 pairs of pants, 4 practice shirts, there’s always folding to do—and with no space, this daily task became difficult and cumbersome.
To create a workspace without losing storage capacity, we designed a fourth and final compact mobile shelving unit to be at a height similar to a counter. With this modification, 15 students can be folding at the same time. This three-carriage, mechanical-assist system was outfitted with 4-post shelving, doors, and drawers to store small items, parts, and conceal the room’s trash bins. Notre Dame’s equipment staff knew that their student equipment managers were crucial to the team’s success, and wanted them to have a place to keep their personal items as well. For this reason, banks of personal storage lockers were installed independent of the student athlete lockers.
The University of Notre Dame, located in South Bend, Indiana, is recognized globally for its reputation as a research university and its top-rate School of Architecture. It’s also known for its football team—the Fighting Irish holds the highest winning percentage among college football programs and has 11 Division I NCAA National Championships.
However, there was one crucial element slowing the team down—less than ideal sports equipment storage. The football team’s equipment was being stored in a small room with static wooden shelving and concrete floors. The aisles between the static shelving were wide, designed to accommodate a skid and a pallet, which took up most of the floor space. There was so much wasted space—resulting in an equipment storage area that was not very functional.
The University of Notre Dame, located in South Bend, Indiana, is recognized globally for its reputation as a research university and its top-rate School of Architecture. It’s also known for its football team—the Fighting Irish holds the highest winning percentage among college football programs and has 11 Division I NCAA National Championships.
However, there was one crucial element slowing the team down—less than ideal sports equipment
storage. The football team’s equipment was being stored in a small room with static wooden shelving and concrete floors. The aisles between the static shelving were wide, designed to accommodate a skid and a pallet, which took up most of the floor space. There was so much wasted space—resulting in an equipment storage area that was not very functional.
Not only is Notre Dame’s football equipment room better optimized for space, it also speaks volumes about the program itself. The mobile systems feature graphics that epitomize Notre Dame football—close-up photos of the team’s helmets, visual cues to the many National Championships won and Heisman Trophy winners produced, and an aerial shot of the football stadium. To further customize the systems, the company in charge of creating’s Notre Dame’s signature gold handles were also able to dip the handles of the mobile system in the same color. These touches have created a showpiece for the University—not just for equipment, but for recruitment.
