During 22 years of being a sports family, our closets have collected a lot of youth sports equipment. The longer your child plays sports, the more likely it becomes that you will face this problem, too.

Depending on the age of your children, they may outgrow their shoes and padding on a seasonal basis. I hate to admit that it took me way too long to clear out some of that equipment. Remember, your gently used equipment is someone’s bargain for the next season!

RELATED CONTENT: 5 times when it's OK to 'evacuate' a team in youth sports — and 2 times when it isn't

Are you the parent of a youth, middle school or high school football player who’s looking for more tips or resources? Check out our Parent Guide, Parents 101 course, nutritious recipes and more.

Here are three options for putting that used sports equipment to good use: 

1. Have a garage sale

While garage sales can be fun and make you feel good about getting rid of a bunch of stuff, they are a lot of work and will definitely not get you top dollar on your used sports equipment. 

2. Sell online

This is the easiest option and will get you more money for your gear. If you’re looking to buy, it will also get you equipment that’s in decent condition for a greatly reduced rate. There are several ways to do this, of course: eBay, craigslist, Facebook groups and websites that specialize in selling used gear.

RELATED CONTENT: How to be the parent and let youth sports coaches do their jobs

3. Have a community swap

Have families from the neighborhood, school, or league come together and have a swapping party to trade equipment for free.

In most sports, kids are outgrowing their gear every season, not necessarily because of wear and tear, but because kids outgrow them so fast. Instead of letting the used equipment pile up in your garage or hall closet, help someone else by passing it on with one of these options. 

RELATED CONTENT: How your child wants to be treated after the game is over

Playing sports, or parenting children who play sports, is a huge financial undertaking. But by cleaning up used equipment and handing it down to another player, you can help lighten the financial load for another family.

Janis B. Meredith is a life coach for parents. She provides resources to help parents raise champions. Learn more about how she can help parents Raise Champions.