Storing outdoor sports gear over winter
Storing outdoor sports gear over winter
Most backyard sports equipment does not wear out through use. It degrades in the five months it spends outside not being used, and it does so in a handful of predictable ways. None of them require much work to avoid.
Netting: sunlight, not weather
The netting on soccer goals and batting nets is usually polyethylene or polyester. Both are perfectly happy getting wet. What breaks them down is ultraviolet light, which makes the fibres brittle over a season or two until a normal shot tears a hole.
Bringing a net inside over winter helps, but the bigger win is bringing it in during the bright months when it is not in use. A net that folds into a bag between sessions can last several times longer than one that lives on the lawn.
Frames: water in the tube
Steel and fibreglass poles are generally fine outdoors. The problem is water that gets inside a hollow pole through an open end and then freezes. That is what splits a tube, and it is entirely preventable by storing poles horizontally somewhere they drain, rather than standing upright in a corner where they collect.
Where a frame has metal fittings, a quick wipe before storage stops rust marks appearing on the fabric sleeve over the winter.
Weighted bases and the freeze
This is the one that causes real damage. A portable basketball hoop with a water-filled base that freezes solid will crack the base. Water expands as it freezes and the base is a sealed plastic box.
There are two answers. Drain the base before the first hard freeze and store the unit somewhere it will not blow over empty; or fill the base with sand in the first place, which does not expand and has the side benefit of being heavier and steadier all year. Sand is the better answer for a hoop that lives outside permanently.
If a base must stay filled with water outdoors through winter, some people add a windscreen-washer-style antifreeze. That works, but it makes the contents something you do not want leaking onto a lawn or into a drain, so it is a trade-off rather than a free fix.
Balls: let some air out
Inflated balls stored in a cold garage lose pressure anyway, and that is fine. What is worth avoiding is storing them fully inflated somewhere that gets hot in spring, which stresses the seams.
Letting a little air out for long storage and re-inflating in the spring is a thirty-second habit that extends the life of a ball considerably. A pump with a gauge makes it easy to get back to the right pressure, which is printed near the valve on most balls.
Foam, velcro and fabric
Foam balls and velcro paddle sets should not spend the winter damp. Foam holds water, and velcro loses grip when it is full of grit and lint. Both wash easily and both should be properly dry before being packed away.
Electronics and batteries
Anything with a battery compartment — lit hover balls, electronic scoring, powered pumps — should have the batteries removed before storage. Cells left in a device over a cold winter are the usual cause of corroded contacts, which is a much bigger problem in spring than a flat battery would have been.
A short end-of-season routine
- Take down and bag all netting; store it dry and out of direct light.
- Store poles horizontally so they drain rather than collect water.
- Drain water-filled bases before the first freeze, or refill with sand.
- Deflate balls partially and note the correct pressure for spring.
- Wash and dry foam and velcro items completely before packing.
- Remove batteries from anything that has them.
Half an hour at the end of the season is generally the difference between getting three years out of a set and getting one. Replacement nets and balls are stocked here, but the cheaper answer is usually the bag the net came in.
Where this sits in the shop
Everything discussed above comes back to one part of the shop: Soccer Goals and Balls, which currently holds 4 listings between $15.99 and $39.98. The whole of it is picked and packed at Ice House Sports, 473 Washington St, Wellesley, MA, during Mon–Fri 11am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm, closed Sunday — so anything written here can be checked by phoning the counter on ((781) 237-6707.
From our shelves
- Soccer Ball Coloring Kit for Kids – Soccer Gifts for Girls & Boys Ages 4-8 — $15.99
- VAVOSPORT Kids Soccer Goals for Backyard Set of 2,Soccer Training Equipment — $39.98
- Ninja Blast Hover Soccer Light-Up Ball, Birthday Gift for Boys, Indoor Toy Games, Kids — $24.99
What we get asked about this
How long will my order take?
Handling takes 1–2 business days and carrier transit is normally 3–7 business days, so most orders land in 4–9 business days. Tracking is emailed as soon as the label scans.
How much is shipping?
Orders of $49.00 or more ship free inside the United States. Below that, a flat $5.99 covers packing and carrier handling, whatever the box weighs.
Read next
- Choosing a pop-up soccer goal for a small garden
- Basketball hoop heights by age, and why adjustable matters
- Setting up a batting net in a suburban yard
Ordering from Ice House Sports
Orders of $49.00 or more ship free anywhere in the United States, and a flat $5.99 covers everything below that. Handling takes 1–2 business days and carrier transit is normally 3–7 business days. Unused items can go back within 30 days, and if the mistake was ours we pay the return postage.
Questions about anything above go to [email protected], answered within 1 business day, or call (781) 237-6707. Full detail is on the Shipping Policy and Refund and Returns pages.