Patterson Pope - Athletics Storage 101

STORAGE 101

The stuff to know to do storage right

GAME ON: Athletics Storage Overview

Your primary focus should be your athletes and your program’s success. Equipment and uniform storage shouldn’t be a hurdle for your coaches, players, managers and other staff.

With the right storage systems, you can open your floor space for team meetings and gain more room for offices, training, nutrition and equipment maintenance. You can also install solutions to secure and protect equipment and uniforms, help it dry out faster and keep it organized for easy access. Adding custom features to complete your team’s individualized space can also help save time and help your recruiting efforts.

Patterson Pope brings a total team effort to your athletic storage needs. Find out more about the winning storage plays we’ve drawn up for clients across sports including:

+ Cleveland Guardians

+ Clemson University

+ University of North Carolina

+ Georgia Tech

+ FC Cincinnati

+ University of Alabama

+ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

+ Charlotte Hornets

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR PROJECT

Athletic storage can save time and space and help keep athletes safe. The right athletic storage can even support your recruiting efforts. Before we provide a scouting report on each of the different types of athletic storage available, you’ll first want to make a game plan for your project. Don’t worry: Patterson Pope’s experts can help with whichever of the following best describes your strategy.

+ Relocating to a new space

+ Expanding an existing space

+ Renovating current space

EXPANDING

Relocating to a new space is exciting. You’re working with architects/planners to build out a new environment that meets all of your storage needs. You can enjoy the freedom to imagine “what if?” You may be planning to bring your old storage systems, but you want to integrate them with fresh solutions. Or you have the budget to go high-tech and state-of-the-art in re-imagining space and storage.

RELOCATING RENOVATING

Renovating your current space is more challenging. You have to work within the boundaries of what you already have. The goal is to find optimal ways to use that footprint to improve workflow and access, and to better secure what you store.

With expansion of an existing space, you can look forward to having more space and storage. But you’re more likely to want to re-purpose what you’ve been using before. Plus, you’re still limited by your environment. Factors such as HVAC, weight-bearing columns and fire exits can all impact the project design.

Understanding your situation and its challenges can help you in goal-setting for your project. Identify all your stakeholders:

+ Who needs to be consulted?

+ Who are the decision-makers?

+ What end-users will be involved?

+ Are those end-users going to be trained in the storage solutions offered?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR STORAGE?

Your storage solution expert is going to have a lot of questions for you.

Knowing the key players makes it easier to gauge your objectives. A storage expert will come in and ask “what problems are you trying to solve?” The answers can vary for different people within an organization — even on the same project. Priorities include:

+ Increasing amount of storage

+ Creating flexible spaces

+ Improving access to what is stored

+ Reducing footprint of storage solution

+ Designing storage to enhance workflow

+ Saving money and ROI

Knowing how much you’re ready to invest can help shape your storage project brainstorming from the outset. It’s all part of getting to know your project. Doing this thinking now helps position your project for success as you move forward.

Questions like...:

What do you have that needs to be stored?

How often does what is stored need to be accessed?

Does it need to be secured?

What role does storage play in workflow?

Will storage be publicly available or not?

Do you need to track the items stored?

Do items need to be kept temperature controlled?

TYPES OF ATHLETIC STORAGE

With more than four decades of experience working in the industry, Patterson Pope’s experts could make it into a Hall of Fame for Athletic Storage. This ebook’s overview of the many types of storage available for your equipment and uniforms as well as training, nutrition and merchandise/retail needs will help you see why we’re always a first round pick for our customers.

Our discussion highlights the creative ways we’ve helped professional athletic teams, college and high school athletics departments and community recreational programs improve organization, increase access and optimize their space. You’ll see the depth of our squad and the work we’ve done to:

+ Organize equipment and uniforms for improved access

+ Save space to leave more room for staff workstations and team bonding

+ Protect uniforms and equipment to keep athletes safe and healthy and reduce the frequency of costly replacement orders

+ Improve workflow to get athletes geared up, well trained and well fed

+ Secure athletes’ stuff to give them peace of mind about their own possessions while performing their best

APPLICATIONS

Every athletic department, sports team or gym has its own unique challenges. Most important is the knowledge and experience to identify the perfect solution for each challenge. Our experience in all phases of storage sales, planning, design, install allow us to create custom storage solutions for any application and make the process as easy as possible.

EQUIPMENT STORAGE

UNIFORM STORAGE

LOCKERS

TRAINER/NUTRITION STORAGE

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

STAFF WORKSTATIONS

MERCHANDISING/RETAIL BACKROOM STORAGE

EQUIPMENT STORAGE

Sports equipment is expensive. Plus, costs are increasing across the board. Yet you don’t want to skimp on the equipment that keeps your athletes safe and performing at their best. Protect your investment with storage that secures and protects your athletic equipment. The right storage solution can also improve access and provide visibility into your inventory as well.

With any team, equipment is one of your top priorities. Well designed high-density storage systems not only allow for much more capacity, but they also help secure and protect your investment in the equipment and provide better access to it. Select from custom features to make your storage suit the needs of any team or sport. You’ll see the benefits across your program as you:

+ Regain equipment room space

+ Access equipment more easily

+ Organize workflow for optimal efficiency

+ Motivate athletes with team-centric branding

A CASE IN POINT

The Carolina Panthers worked with Patterson Pope to overhaul their Bank of America stadium equipment room and estimate they increased their space by 100 percent. The Panthers are able to store and organize everything from helmets, uniforms and shoes to hats, sweat suits and shoulder pads.

Compact shelving systems gave Florida State University a better use of space in its football facilities. Equipment Manager Darin Kerns had graphics added to the system. Recruits notice it, he says, “There’s a vibe coming from the room itself that says, ‘Hey, this is a fun place to hang out. It’s a place I want to be.’”

At the University of North Carolina, Equipment Manager Ken Crowder oversaw upgrades to the basketball equipment room. Electrical mobile shelving and modular drawers transformed the space. “It has been a big help to be able to lock down certain aisles so everything stays where it belongs.”

The new system has allowed me to save space; it’s allowed me to be more flexible in my daily tasks and activities. It’s a pretty cool system, and I’m glad we chose to work with Patterson Pope. I’m glad we welcomed them to the IMG family.

— IMG Academy Equipment Manager Cortez Robinson

UNIFORM STORAGE

Athletes take pride in their uniforms. You can take pride in the storage solution that protects those uniforms and supports easy access for your team.

Spacesaver mobile shelving units offer a range of accessories to keep gear protected and optimize your space. The game plan includes:

+ Shelving for storing helmets grouped or individually

+ Bars to secure shoulder pads and maximize capacity

+ Garment hanging rods for jerseys and weather gear

+ Tote bin shelving sections to organize smaller items

+ Adaptable peg, wire basket  and bin storage to customize your shelving system

A CASE IN POINT

Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish are no longer fighting for room to fold laundry either. The team used to have to bring in folding tables for 15 students to line up around and care for uniforms. Now, their equipment room has a counter height compact storage system with custom-designed quartz tops inlaid with the Notre Dame logo. Under the countertops, Spacesaver shelving stores small parts and Hamilton Sorter doors and drawers conceal pull-out trash bins.

High-density compact shelving helps Georgia Tech outfit 120+ football athletes and nearly 40 staffers for each ACC season. Director of equipment operations, Tom Conner, says that prior to working with Patterson Pope some jerseys were hung out of reach and inconveniently. Now, “It’s really all laid out nicely.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates installed a Spacesaver ActivRAC High-Density Mobile Storage System in their Spring Training facilities. “Having an organized space just changes the way you operate,” said Pat Hagerty, the baseball team’s equipment manager. Securing uniforms and shoes is easier too with Rollock doors.

In Sarasota, FL, the Baltimore Orioles updated their Spring Training equipment room Since players often go in and out of the room to get their stuff, the team also added safety sweeps to their highdensity storage system for an extra safety measure. They even added cleatresistant carpet tiles to better withstand player spikes.

When you look at the long-term cost-effectiveness of a project like this, it’s plain to see that it’s definitely worth the investment, at whatever level.

— Gabriel Evans, Brentwood High School

LOCKERS

The locker room is an important hub for rousing speeches, team bonding and celebrating that big win. Make it a space where your athletes want to spend time by selecting from a variety of finishes and materials.

Modular laminate locker systems adapt almost as fast as your sprinters can run (OK, maybe not the 50-meter dash time). You can easily reconfigure these elegant, flexible lockers to fit your space and change as your needs do.

Provide personal storage for your players so they can focus on the practice or game ahead. Freestyle® Personal Storage Lockers make the best use of your available space while helping keep personal gear organized and secure. Our durable steel lockers can also take as many hits as your hockey players.

Upgrading to a smart locker can also improve efficiency while giving building administrators more insights into how lockers are used. Smart lockers offer:

+ RFID scanning or mobile apps to open lockers, which limits hands-on user contact to promote cleanliness, health and safety

+ Reduced administrative burden and expense of key management

+ Ability to set up lockers to be inclusive and ADA compliant

+ Intelligent dashboard control of all lockers allowing transparency into data analytics

Smart Lockers provide complete control to:

+ Facilitate emergency response with the ability to press one button and open all lockers

+ Streamline cleaning processes as crews can come in at a set time to a bank of opened lockers rather than having to key open each one

+ Support peace of mind with weighted lockers that send alerts to users informing them that they have left something behind

TRAINER/NUTRITION STORAGE

Sports is big business at the pro and collegiate level, but no matter the size of the team or the sport, there are lots of little things to store. Team trainers and nutritionists can easily access all they need with storage systems suited to their particular needs.

Help these valuable team players keep athletes fit and performing at the top of their game with durable, flexible storage solutions that can hold everything from athletic tape and First Aid kits to protein bars and rehydrating drinks.

A CASE IN POINT

Disorganized storage was leading to frustration and wasted time at Stanford University’s main athletics facility. A detailed storage plan was implemented to help staff and students understand the possibilities a new space could offer . A clearly marked “home” for all the items that needed to be stored, from crutches to shoulder pads to dress belts was created. The items needed to be not only easy to find, but also easy to put away. Given the limited space, the usage patterns of athletes and staff and the facility’s current and projected storage needs, powered mobile storage systems and FrameWRX bin-style shelving formed the core of their storage solution.

Take care of training and nutrition staff with:

+ Modular sleek, secure, space-efficient combination drawer and shelving units

+ FrameWRX® Bin Shelving Systems with modular shelves, bins, pegs, work surfaces and EZ Rails that can be rearranged on demand — without tools or fasteners

+ Laminate cabinets, wall cabinets, tall

cabinets, storage cabinets and more to organize athletic gear and improve access to every item they need at their fingertips

+ Durable laminate lockers with builtin bench seating or 40” height lockers that can serve also as a collaborative workstation

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

Operations staff may not be scoring points on the court or field, but their work is essential to team success. Provide a storage solution that supports their productivity. For example, the University of Oregon’s “Armory” is a purpose-built room for helmet prep, maintenance and storage.

When everyone knows where to find everything they need, it’s also easier to keep up with equipment maintenance. Whether it’s straps, strings, pads, gloves, masks or something else, equipment managers will appreciate the many options available to them:

+ Modular drawer cabinets improve security, convenience and space efficiency

+ Bin shelving easily accommodates and organizes a wide range of items

+ Laminate cabinets look like built-ins but can be adapted easily to suit changing needs

+ Rollok doors add security and can be customized to show team spirit

+ Rousseau workbenches and mobile drawer cabinets can provide a stationary or mobile workspace to safely and efficiently perform tasks

A CASE IN POINT

Brentwood High School in Nashville was storing its shoulder pads on improvised PVC piping racks. A combination of wall-hung cantilever shelving and Oblique shoulder pad storage, allowed the team to store pads seven or eight high, each pair resting on its own support structure.

Georgia Tech’s director of equipment operations, Tom Conner, appreciates the Rousseau cabinet storage and wood butcher block counter workspace adjacent to the football team’s high-density unit. “We’re so happy with the result of this install,” Conner says. “It’s been really ideal.”

Lipscomb Academy,  decided to put storage around the outside walls of the equipment room to give staff more room. “It definitely helped increase our efficiency,” says Director of Football Operations Preston Campbell. “We’ve really saved on costs and time because of what they did for us.”

“It’s a huge ‘wow’ factor when the recruits walk in.”.

— Aaron Wasson, athletic equipment director, University of Oregon

STAFF WORKSTATIONS

Coaches and team managers are right there alongside their athletes at the rink, field, pitch or track. But there’s also plenty to do behind the scenes too. Give staff the workstations they need to plan plays, recruit talent and get the rest of their jobs done. Make choices that perform double duty as useful workspaces and storage selecting from:

+ Modular laminate casework customized to the way your team works while improving security, increasing workflow and adding space optimization

+ Modular drawer cabinets increase storage capacity and security and can come in a variety of finish tops to customize the workspace. You might also add casters to make it mobile or add a foldaway shelf to extend available workspace.

+ Laminate locker systems can give athletic staff a place to know their belongings are secure and, when installed counter height, create an island space for coaches’ meetings

MERCHANDISING/RETAIL

Game day can drive big business for replica team gear, t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats. And with new college NIL rules in place, there is even more merchandise to stock and store. Space to house all of the inventory can often be small and odd-shaped to fit within the confines of the stadium, coliseum or event space.

+ Compact high-density mobile shelving creates more room for inventory in tight spaces

+ 4-Post shelving with hanging rods, bin fronts or bin dividers provide a way to keep all of the inventory neat and organized

+ Modular casework with adjustable shelf and organizing modules is perfect for storage and display at the point-of-sale

PLANNING AND DESIGN

Patterson Pope’s planning and design stage begins with a space survey and assessment. Just as your coaches need to see the talent to pick a team and plan plays, we know there’s no onesize-fits-all storage solution. Our experts look at:

+ Access points in the room

+ ADA considerations

+ Item weight

+ Need for security

+ Code compliance concerns

+ Floor load

+ Structural engineering factors

+ Fire code implications

+ Sprinkler heads, fire alarm, HVAC placement

“We’re not just trying to pack a lot of stuff in a small space. We’re trying to create a workflow, a really efficient work environment, and a safer workplace.”

— Mike Hisman

Whether working directly with your athletic staff or the project’s architect, designer, engineer or contractor, Patterson Pope’s certified planners co-design a customized storage solution. Based on measurements of the available space and inventory of your current storage solutions, our dedicated planners will draw up specs to meet your needs.

We want to make the project suit your needs. So, we have revision stages. Our storage specialist brings the designs back to your decision makers to ask for your input before anything is settled and agreed upon.

All in a Day’s Planning

Our planners might get handed detailed, thorough specs from the site visit and consultation with the client. Or they’re given just the bare essentials and carte blanche to find the best solution.

Using multiple design tools, the planners then move different storage options around in space to maximize the effectiveness of the storage in the space. They’re not only thinking about aesthetics, but also how the storage solution will be used today — and in the future.

Click here to learn more about the P2 Process

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INSTALLATION

During installation, our certified installers help you avoid the heavy lifting. It’s not just that you don’t have to put heavy storage cabinets or high-density carriages together yourself. We also collaborate with your engineers, general contractors and subcontractors to take the scheduling responsibility off your shoulders.

We work out a timeline for product delivery and installation that works with your team’s schedule. Then, when it comes time to install, Patterson Pope brings in pros to do the job right. Our technicians and installation crews are full-time, experienced storage installers, certified with our manufacturers, experienced in applications and have collectively over 100 years of experience in our field.

With smart storage solutions, Patterson Pope also has technologists on staff who can troubleshoot the software. Even when it comes to powered lifts and mobile shelving, it is critical that we have people on our team that know and support this technology.

Our teams are flexible and work to meet scheduling requests of clients, architects and designers. After hours or on a specified date? We’ll work hard to make that commitment work. We do what it takes to make the sure the project is done right and on time.

We install it right. Or we make it right. OUR PROMISE

Patterson Pope partners with the best storage system manufacturers. That means you get top quality product and top-of-the-line warranties too.

ONGOING RELATIONSHIP

We like to continue our relationships with our clients. Our long-term partnership starts with our technical crews offering on-site product training. This makes sure your people know how to use the storage systems. We’ll also go over the product warranties, service agreements and maintenance contracts.

We’ll be checking back with you to make sure you’re happy. Our company reputation is on the line. We’ve been doing this for 50 years. We stand by the quality of the products we sell and the care you get working with us.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

With Patterson Pope, you get the whole package. In athletic terms, it’s the difference between bringing in a player that has one strength and recruiting one that can play any position you need and be a team leader too.

Patterson Pope provides you with more than just a storage solution. We work with you on design, project management and installation. Along the way you get to build a long-term relationship with a company you can count on.

Whether you are relocating, renovating or expanding, our experts are always available to help. Together, we can plan efficient use of your space in a cost-effective way. Your athletic storage is in professional hands when you partner with Patterson Pope. Contact us today!

Patterson Pope takes the complicated and makes it simple. Your records, your stuff, your space — all simplified. If it’s in your organization and you can touch it, we help you store it, track it and retrieve it using less space and time than you ever thought possible.

Over its decades in the storage business, Patterson Pope has earned an excellent reputation as a committed partner with clients, architects and general contractors by providing expertise — from consultation to implementation — that delivers bottom-line results.

CALL US: 866.866.4778

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