Dry Hockey
Dry Hockey Is it safe to wash goal equipment? and if so how? I hate having to wear sweaty hockey equipment ? Sometimes I have a game and then a practise the next day, even when leaveing my stuff...
Dry Hockey
 Is it safe to wash goal equipment? and if so how? I hate having to wear sweaty hockey equipment  ?Sometimes I have a game and then a practise the next day, even when leaveing my stuff out to dry sometimes after a realy good game I get a massive sweat goin and the next day my equipment smells and is damp. I can throw my socks and sweat gaurds and such in the laundry but what do I do with say my pants and chest protector? or my blocker? is it safe to wash them in the sink and dry them off or what? I have no idea, THANKS! Your best bet is to air it out as much as possible and get as much airflow over it; i.e., a fan. The colder the air, the better. It's tough since the natural inclination is to just toss everything in a corner but if you do that, you'll get that smell. Blocker and glove are just going to always smell that way, there's not much you can do. It's a losing battle with leather and Clarino; if you dry it in front of a fan, the leather gets all stiff and doesn't feel right, but if you don't, then your sweat eats up the leather and you wind up having to get your equipment fixed/patched where the leather has gotten eaten up. I opened up my glove and blocker as best as I could and let them sit in front of a fan, and just dealt with the stiffness; occasionally I rubbed some leather conditioner into it and that seemed to help out a bit. I usually rinsed down my chest protector with a hose then hung it up to dry in front of a fan but I live in a milder climate where I can get away with that. Occasionally I used some diluted Woolite in a spray bottle then rinsed as much of the soap out as I could but even then, it would still smell. With pants, you pull as many of the pads as you can out, then just throw it into the wash, on gentle cycle, then when it comes out, you hang dry. Then again, I had Vaughn goal pants which were easy to do that and all the pads came out easily; I don't know what kind of goal pants you wear but if it's not possible, just air it out as best you can. The pants are mostly nylon so it doesn't hold water well, but the pads might hold water especially if it's not closed-cell foam they use. I also wouldn't leave skates in the bag with the rest of the gear, I'd carry those separately. As stupid as it sounds, wooden shoe trees seem to deal with wet footgear pretty well. Most extreme example I have seen someone go is to throw in canisters of silica gel into their gear bag, but I have my doubts about whether that works or not since he still smelled funky afterwards. |
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Top 5 Coaching Boards
Top 5 Coaching Boards
Pointing fingers and yelling across the field is not the easiest way to get players in line. So how can you illustrate to players where they should move on the court or field? The dry erase coaching board. I don't know who invented them but coaching boards have saved thousands, if not millions, of coaches the frustration of trying to get athletes to share their vision.
Coaching boards started out as simple chalk boards with court diagrams drawn on them. A basic idea that has been improved over the years. Now coaches can use dry erase boards that boast color basketball courts and green fields, accurate field diagrams and even magnetic player pieces.
Whether your buying a coaching board for yourself or as a gift for your favorite coach with so many options out there it's hard to keep track of what's new on the scene and which models are the tried and true.
Come with me as we take a quick look at the Top 5 Coaching Boards for 2008 according to sales at Morley Athletic. We'll start with the 5th most popular model and work our way to the #1 most popular coaching board.
#5 - Playmaker Wall Units
While not your average sized coaching boards Playmaker Wall Units offer an oversized dry erase surface. Measuring in at a whopping 24" wide x 36" high this model is usually reserved for the team bus or locker room but has grown to be very popular. This specially designed dry erase board easily wipes clean so drawing plays is quick and easy. Dry erase pen and eraser attaches to the board with Velcro fasteners for safe keeping. The Playmaker Wall Unit features a heavy duty aluminum frame.
Available in the following sports: Basketball, Football Field, Soccer, Volleyball, Ice Hockey, Football Single Play, Football Three Stage, Plain White.
#4 - Aluminum Portfolio Coaching Boards
Aluminum Portfolio Coaching Boards are made of a durable aluminum that provides a rigid and smooth writing surface. Use a dry erase marker (included) to draw plays. Aluminum portfolio coaching boards also feature a spring hinged cover so you can keep papers inside of them safely. Lightweight and extremely durable it's no wonder this lightweight portable desk is #4 in our countdown. Each clipboard measures 9" x 12-13/16".
Available in the following sports: Basketball, Football Field, Soccer, Volleyball, Ice Hockey, Women's Lacrosse, Men's Lacrosse or Field Hockey
#3 - Magnetic Playmaker
Sliding in at number three is the Magnetic Playmaker. The fact that this coaching board is in the countdown is truly astounding when you consider that the majority sold are for one sport, basketball. While all of the other models in the countdown are popular with all sports this little wonder of coaching splendor is so popular with one sport it rocks the charts.
Magnetic Playmakers offer a dry erase surface that wipes clean with ease. As the name implies they also offer the advantage of magnets to illustrate player movement. Magnetic Playmakers feature a pen/eraser combo for versatility. The player magnets store under the partial lid when closed. This model boasts a impact resistant styrene plastic frame for long lasting use. The plastic case actually offers a wider gripping area and is easier on your hands. When the hinged cover is closed it doubles as a carry handle. Add to all of those features a full 10" x 15" size and you can't go wrong.
Available in the following sports: Basketball, Volleyball or Soccer.
#2 - Sport Write Coaching Boards
Sick of plain old white dry erase boards. Need some color to spice of the sidelines and get your players attention. Your in luck! Relatively new on the scene are the Sport Write Coaching Boards. New, maybe, innovative, definitely. These oversized boards offer the best detail of any coaching board on the market.
Sport Write boards are actually a double whammy because not only do you get the most graphic field and court diagrams available but on the reverse side you get a huge white dry erase surface for additional plays or notes. You could even use this side to post messages in the locker room or on the field.
Sport Write coaching boards are lightweight and durable. The measure up against the competition at a full 23-1/4" x 18-5/8". You can get an idea of exactly how big that is by looking at the pictures and video by clicking this link... Sport Write Coaching Boards.
This board is currently sweeping the market and it's easy to see why.
Available in the following sports: Baseball Diamond, Basketball, Football Field, Soccer, Ice Hockey, Women's Lacrosse, Men's Lacrosse or Field Hockey
#1 - Dry Erase Clip Boards
No real shock here is it. The standard 9.5" x 15.5" dry erase clip board with field diagram is still the #1 most popular coaching board. It's easy to understand why. They offer the least expensive price, they have clear court and field diagrams and the clip at the top can hold papers. It's hard to beat the original right?
There are many manufacturers of this style board and prices range for under $10 to over $20 based on manufacturer.
Most manufacturers include a dry erase marker and the boards can be wiped clean with a cloth or paper towel with ease.
You'll find a quality model at www. MorleyAthletic .com that's available in the following sports: Baseball Field, Baseball Line Up, Tennis, Basketball, Football Field, Soccer, Volleyball, Ice Hockey, Women's Lacrosse, Men's Lacrosse, Field Hockey or Plain.
You'll also find the same model in a large 12.5" x 18.5" size in all of the above listed sports at www. MorleyAthletic .com.
Whatever your sport, whichever style you prefer you'll find your coaching board a very valuable tool in coaching. Verbal explanation of plays can lead to players running in different directions. Everyone deciphers things differently and players listening to a coaches instruction may all hear things a little differently. Keep all your players on the same page and pick up your coaching board next time you want to illustrate a play.
To view all of the above boards and more shop the largest selection of coaching boards online at the "Coaching Board Store".
About the Author
11 Years full time experience in the team sporting goods business. I grew up in the business though so it feels like i have 30 years experience. I am 4th generation at www.morleyathletic.com. I write many articles about all athletic sports that pertain to team specific products and ideals. These are articles for players and coaches.