1. Pack the Car the Night Before
Tournament mornings are stressful.
Create a permanent trunk bin with:
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray –Cactus Juice is AMAZING, smells great and works as lotion too!
- Extra Cleats
- First aid kit
- Extra socks
Dont forget to load:
- Tent/Canopy
- Chairs
- Baseball Bag with all gear
- Cleats
- Wagon
This saves time when games start early.
2. Freeze Water Bottles Overnight
Freeze a few bottles so they act as ice packs in the cooler.
By game time they melt into cold drinking water.
3. Keep a “Dugout Emergency Kit”
Every team ends up needing one.
Include:
Coaches love the parent who has this ready.
See our full Dugout emergency kit here!
4. Use a Carabiner for Gear
Clip gloves, batting gloves, or helmets onto the outside of the bag.
Parents often use something like the Black Diamond MiniWire Carabiner to keep gear from getting lost.
5. Label EVERYTHING
Kids constantly mix up gear.
Use:
This prevents the classic “that’s my bat” dugout debate.
6. Bring a Power Strip for Tournaments
If fields have outlets in the concession area, one power strip lets multiple parents charge phones.
Portable chargers like the Anker PowerCore Portable Charger are also lifesavers during long tournament days.
7. Keep a “Snack Draft Box”
Instead of handing snacks out randomly, make a small snack bin.
After the game each player can grab one item.
Popular snacks:
- fruit snacks
- granola bars
- sunflower seeds
This keeps things organized.
8. Cooling Towels for Hot Games
Wet them, snap them, and they stay cold.
Many parents use towels like the FROGG TOGGS Chilly Pad Cooling Towel to keep players cool in summer tournaments.
9. Bring Extra Hair Ties and Eye Black
Someone always forgets them.
Small items like these can save a kid’s entire game day mood.
Pro Tip: Hair ties can be used to hold the GameChanger camera in a pinch!
10. Pack a Folding Wagon
This is a tournament MVP.
Instead of carrying coolers, chairs, and gear across multiple fields, a wagon handles everything.
11. Keep Extra Socks in the Bag
Wet socks from morning dew or rain ruin games.
Dry socks = instant mood improvement.
12. Keep a “Mud Towel” in the Car
After rainy games or muddy fields, gear and cleats get nasty.
Keep an old towel + plastic bin in the trunk so players can wipe off cleats before getting in the car.
Bonus tip:
Add a small boot brush to the bin.
Your car interior will thank you.
13.Keep a Backup Outfit in the Car
Kids spill drinks, slide in mud, or get soaked in rain.
Keep a sealed zip bag with:
- shorts
- shirt
- socks
A backup outfit saves the ride home after messy games.
14. Keep a Small Bottle of Baby Powder in the Gear Bag
Baby powder is a secret weapon at the ballfield.
It helps with:
- removing sand or dirt from hands and legs
- keeping hands dry for batting
- getting wet sand off feet before putting shoes back on
Many parents keep something like Johnson’s Baby Powder in the gear bag for quick clean-ups between innings.
Bonus trick:
If kids step in mud or sand near the dugout, sprinkle powder on it and brush it off — it absorbs moisture and cleans up fast.
15. The “Sibling Activity Bag”
If you have younger siblings at the field, games can feel really long for them. Create a small “ballfield activity bag” that only comes out during games.
Fill it with things like:
The trick is to only let them use these items at the ballfield, which keeps them excited and entertained during long innings or tournaments.
Pro tip: Rotate a few new items every couple weeks so it always feels like a “special game day bag.”
For more sibling advice see Feral Baseball Siblings and How to Survive
16. Keeping White Pants WHITE!
If you are cursed enough to have a uniform with white pants or jersey, this hack is for you! White Bright is a powder you can soak white pants in and it wont hurt with some color, its not bleach.
Pro Tip: For REALLY dirty pants or orange stains combine with some Iron out in a 5 gallon bucket – soak in hot water for 48 hours then was as normal; they will be good as new and you can skip the scrubbing!
See our full list of baseball essentials here!
17. How To Keep Your Hats Looking Brand New
Get you a hat frame and wash your players hat in the dishwasher after every game or tournament, add some stain spray if there’s mud, dirt or heavy stains. It will come out good as new everytime!