Upgrade Equipment
It’s time to evaluate what the team has for equipment and see what improvements can be made to safety, firearms, gear, and technology.
- Start with safety equipment, safety is a priority and the equipment you offer should be in good condition and free of defects.
- Hearing protection:
- Foam plugs.
- Foam ear plugs are great but don’t necessarily fit everyone, consider offering your athletes custom hearing protection.
- Self-deafening ear plugs are also an option and allow coaches and athletes to converse while on the field, these will protect your hearing when a loud noise goes off.
- Ear muffs.
- Ear muffs should be inspected weekly for the following:
- Proper fit.
- Proper seal.
- Cracks in the foam.
- Adjustment strap.
- Ear muffs have a tendency to wear out fast and therefore become less effective.
- Athletes will struggle with bulky ear muffs and hinder their abilities trying to secure a good cheek weld.
- Consider custom ear muffs that are sleek lined.
- Consider custom ear muffs that are self-deafening.
- Ear muffs should be inspected weekly for the following:
- Foam plugs.
- Eye protection
- Your athletes require the best when it comes to their vision, offering a variety of safety glasses can be a huge offering to your team.
- Standard safety glasses.
- Clear glasses that cover the eye completely and protect from objects entering the eyeball.
- Offer a number of different styles, glasses are a comfort thing and fit is extremely important.
- Keep glasses clean and scratch free, dispose glasses that have cloudy or blurred spots.
- Custom safety glasses.
- Offer upgraded safety glasses that have interchangeable lenses for various light conditions.
- Seeing the target is important and custom safety glasses will help pick up the target quickly.
- Include a case and proper cleaning supplies with all custom glasses, good shooting glasses are expensive and need to be taken care of.
- Safety vests
- Offer your coaches and range safety officers high visible clothing that establishes them as the authority on the field.
- The weather is a factor so consider offering the following:
- Safety shirts (long and short sleeve).
- Safety hat.
- Safety jacket.
- Safety equipment is essential and should be upgraded on a yearly basis.
- Team firearms.
- Consider upgrades to team guns by purchasing shot guns that meet the needs of all levels of shooters.
- Carry at least 2 of the following, one in each caliber of 12 and 20 gauge.
- Pump action.
- Semi-automatic.
- Over/Under.
- Your athletes will undoubtedly want to improve their shotgun and by supplying a variety of team guns you can help them make the right decision when purchasing a new firearm.
- Purchase shotguns that are fully adjustable to cover a wide range athlete shapes and sizes.
- Have a licensed gunsmith offer advice on what to purchase. Gunsmiths are a great resource and know a lot about guns.
- Have that gunsmith go through all team guns on a yearly basis, this will ensure proper function and safety.
- Properly label all team guns and make sure cases are in good working condition.
- Technology.
- Experienced teams can start using technology to help their team.
- Consider purchasing equipment that has video capabilities such as a video camera or tablet.
- Purchasing a camera will allow coaches to snap action shots, this will be helpful when instructing athletes that are struggling or stuck in a certain place.
- Here are few of the benefits of upgrading technology on the team:
- Take photos.
- Take videos.
- Electronic scoring.
- Watch instructional videos.
- Capture the fun at the field.
- Miscellaneous
- Folding tables.
- Folding chairs.
- Team banners.
- Tents and canopy’s.
- Grill.
- Equipment upgrades are an essential part of a successful team, eliminating distractions will allow your athletes to focus on breaking more targets.