Buying Your Volleyball Duffle

When you're choosing the closets, dressers and cupboards that are going to hold your books, appliances and clothing, what do you look for? Do you just go for the one with the lowest price tag, or do you take things like quality, durability and efficiency into consideration? Knowing that you have to live with the individual "quirks" of these items every day of your life, you're likely to look far beyond the price to ensure that they're able to do the things you need them to do without driving you crazy or costing you hundreds of dollars because of poor quality.

Why, then, wouldn't you take that same approach to purchasing your volleyball duffle?

During volleyball season you and your duffle are going to develop the same close, intimate relationship women have with their purse. All of life's "little essentials" are going to be wrapped up in that bag, making it one of the most important objects you own-yet most people choose their volleyball duffle with less care and consideration than they give their Big Mac.

When you're choosing your volleyball duffle you want to do it with an eye toward both quality and efficiency. Choose a high quality fabric that will withstand the constant friction of skidding across a gym floor or the floorboards of your car, preferably in a bright, easily distinguishable design so you never grab the wrong bag when you're out on the road. Once you've settled on a brand you like, choose a bag that has plenty of small pockets to hold miscellaneous items such as iPods and quarters while still leaving you room in the middle for your practice clothes, your game day uniform, your protective gear, a small First-Aid kit, a practice ball (or two) and your game shoes.

A poor quality duffle bag will fall apart at the least opportune moment, forcing you to spend the time and money to purchase another one (usually while trying to juggle all of your belongings in a tiny plastic sack). A bag that is too small won't be able to hold all of your equipment, and one that is too large or doesn't have the proper organizational compartments will leave you standing in the locker room looking for your lucky socks while your team hits the courts.

Sooner or later your shoes will fall apart, your practice clothes will begin to fade and your kneepads will be replaced, but a good volleyball duffle bag will see you through it all.

Considering the fact that your duffle bag is going to be your home away from home when you're out on the road, it's important to make your selection with care. Come check out our selection of high quality, functional duffle bags at http://www.volleyballproshop.com/.

What's in Your Duffle? Packing Up to Hit the Road

Do you ever feel like you're living out of your car? How about your locker? What about-your volleyball duffel? Whether you're hitting the road with a traveling team or just floating back and forth from practice to game to practice again, most of your life is going to be tucked inside that duffel. Most professional athletes keep their sport bags packed with enough paraphernalia to support a small country during the season.

So what's in your bag?

Everyone's different, so while your neighbor down the way might never leave home without her lucky rabbit's foot the person standing next to you might insist on having his favorite game socks along-whether they've been washed or not! Whatever your game day preferences are, here are some must-haves you should never leave home without:

Practice clothes (2 sets). You never know when something disgusting is going to happen to your favorite practice shorts when you're crawling under a bench in the locker room to find something you dropped, so it's always smart to have a second set on hand. Don’t forget your socks!

Volleyball shoes. The last thing you want is to find yourself practicing in bare feet because youforgot your court shoes and the only other pair you have come with stilettos attached.

Knee pads, ankle braces, wrist guards and anything else you wear out on the court.Uniform. Your uniform shirt, socks and game shorts should take up residence in a clean compartment in your bag so you always have them on hand rather than having to search for them minutes before you have to leave for a game.

**A word to the wise-practice clothes and uniforms are easier to find if they go from the bag to the washer to the bag again. They have a mysterious habit of wandering off if they detour past your dresser or hamper in between, making them impossible to find.**

Deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash (or soap if you have a safe place to stow it) and any other toiletries you like to have on hand. If you have a locker to stow these in, great, but keeping a little travel set on hand for game days when you're in someone else's dirty locker room is never a bad idea.

Hairspray, hair gel, make-up, hairbrush, extra hair ties and anything else you like to have on hand before stepping back out on the city streets after getting hot and sweaty on the court.

Safety pins. Hey, you never know!

A first aid kit. Ideally, wherever you happen to be playing will have one on hand. Even more ideally, you'll never need to use one! Because reality isn't always that easy, keeping a First-Aid kit on hand with Band-Aids, bandages, Neosporin, burn cream, portable ice packs and some Tylenol will ensure that no matter what happens, you're ready.

A ball, preferably with your name on it. Speaking of putting your name on things, always make sure your name is prominently displayed on your volleyball bag. That goes double if you've decided to skip over the fluorescent green model and go for something more traditional. There have been hundreds of occasions where players have found themselves without their car keys because a team mate picked up the wrong bag. Don't let that happen to you!

Change for vending machines and a book, GameBoy or other activity for when you're sitting around waiting. Stashing a bottle of water and a high energy snack for an emergency or post-game pick me up isn't a bad idea either. Just remember to keep them sealed in a Ziploc bag to keep drips and spills contained.

During volleyball season your sports duffel's bound to feel more like home than your home does. Make sure your home is well stocked with everything you need both on and off the courts before you step out your front door.

Check out our selection of top of the line, quality duffels at http://www.volleyballproshop.com/.