Old Lacrosse Equipment: Case Study

When my partners and I began working on this project it was difficult to envision success that could be accomplished outside of selling or donating old lacrosse equipment. Initially or project was focused on lacrosse equipment that outdated or unused (in this case, primarily outdated). Once we had begun taking inventory of said equipment, it became clear that other teams had their own share of unwanted equipment. From here we had decided to broaden the focus of the project to all equipment in the athletic facility.

The first success we had in the project was the tidying up of the equipment room in the athletic department. The day we first arrived there it looked as though it not been regularly maintained. This could have been the byproduct

of the athletic department not having a designated equipment manager. As we went through the process of taking inventory, the equipment room was tidied up. That came as our first success of the project.
During the process of taking inventory of the equipment, our initial focus of what to do with the old lacrosse equipment became clearer.

Two items that were deemed easiest to repurpose were gloves and helmets. The gloves found a new home thanks to our group member from Maine. He had contacted an old coach from home and he was interested in acquiring the gloves. They were donated to the coach who would use them to fit players that didn’t have gloves of their own. The other item, the helmets, proved to be difficult to repurpose. The first idea the group had for the helmets was that they could be sold to a sporting goods store as many local suppliers buy and trade used equipment. However, when talking to Keith Bosley, the college’s athletic director, he informed us that this might be more difficult to do than we previously

anticipated.
Turns out that there NCAA regulations that prevent used equipment, especially protective head gear, from being resold or redistributed. Protective sports equipment that is provided by the school, specifically helmets, need to meet certain safety specifications. This prevents the NCAA from being held liable if an athlete gets hurt using equipment not meeting specifications. This fact made the renders the helmets unusable because of the poor shape that they are in. Thus, our only option was to destroy and discard the helmets to prevent them from further use. Though it may not seem like it, the destruction of faulty equipment was another success of the project.
Once inventory of the equipment had been completed, the focus then turned to what other repurposing outlets are available.

During the inventory stage of the project, the group had discovered a significant amount of team uniforms for various sports. This was comprised of either complete sets or only a few uniforms from different sets. Uniforms are items that are difficult to repurpose because they are instantly limited to the color way of the school and the name “eagles” that is usually branded largely on the uniforms. We discussed this with Keith Bosley and he informed us of an idea that saw a page of the school’s athletic online store be devoted to vintage uniforms. This appeals to the alumni that played for GMC in their day, or for any interested individual. Through the process of taking inventory of the uniforms, we had supplied several items to be sold online. This was a success because of the potential revenue source for the athletic

department.
So now that we had outlined how we can repurpose unwanted equipment, the group began to think about how the focus of the project could be sustained well after the project itself was completed. What made this project possible was the accumulation of equipment over time. The surplus of unwanted and unusable equipment was had resulted over a long period of time. This was clear because certain items were clearly dated upwards of fifteen years old. For example, there were pairs of unopened baseball batting gloves who’s package branding screamed late 90’s. In fact, how long has it been since there was a baseball team here at GMC?
Anyway, the group developed the idea of a mandatory inventory check that recorded quantitative and qualitative information about athletic equipment provided through the college. This entails the coach or manager of each team taking inventory at the beginning and end of each season to keep status and condition of equipment updated. Hopefully this inventory check would prevent further accumulation of unwanted and unusable equipment over time, helping this section of the athletic department to be run more efficiently.
Initially the focus of the project was to repurpose most or all of the old lacrosse equipment. That goal was not obtained due to the condition of certain equipment and regulation against reusing old gear. However, through the stages of this project our group discovered a larger goal with a broader focus. For this larger goal, we have developed a plan that can obtain this goal and this is what makes me believe this project was a success. The immediate fix was not obtainable in our given time frame, but what resulted from the project was a solution for the long term problem. Additionally, I feel that the group’s work in this project brings more awareness to this problem. After our group members graduate, our solution for this problem may be modified or completely different from the one we originally developed. But the potential progress will stem from the work we originally completed.