At Techsport, we have the privilege of employing a team full of diversity and different passions. Among them, we have Jean-Raphaël Séguin, our development manager, who is passionate about football and has been a coach for over 10 years. With his experience and passion for sports, we asked Jean-Raphaël to offer his perspective as an experienced coach on the questions you most often ask us during your soccer, basketball, football, or multisport field design projects. We hope these tips for sports fields will inspire you.
Q: White or yellow, which color would you recommend for the posts of a multisport field?
A: From a functional standpoint, I would recommend yellow 100% of the time: it contrasts with any type of sky and makes it easier for players, athletes, and referees to see. White posts generally have a cleaner and more aesthetic look, but they become much less visible when the sky is cloudy.
Q : Synthetic or natural grass?
A: As a coach, I have always preferred natural grass because it is a surface with fewer injury risks for athletes compared to synthetic grass (no friction burns, less impact on joints from the surface, etc.). It is also a surface that absorbs and radiates much less heat in the summer, making the field less uncomfortable than the heat islands that synthetic fields become during the same period. However, from a manager’s perspective, synthetic fields are easier and less expensive to maintain, and they wear out less than natural fields as the season progresses. It is understandable that many designers choose synthetic grass.
If you opt for a synthetic field, I strongly recommend including some form of shading in your project, as I have seen and personally experienced many cases of heatstroke on uncovered synthetic fields, as they are exposed to the sun and become hot. Also, choose biodegradable infill: your athletes will carry impressive amounts of infill surface material everywhere around the field with their shoes, regardless of the cleaning and containment measures you might plan. Biodegradable infill will naturally disintegrate instead of polluting the surroundings of your facilities.
Q: What type of player dugout/shelter would you recommend as a standard?
A: Anything with the least ground footprint possible: during most matches, regardless of the sport, many people move around the field (players, coaches, referees, spectators, therapists, etc.), and often they run back and forth. Ideally, use as few posts as possible to avoid cluttering the ground and someone accidentally running into them. A cantilever shelter or a multi-canopy with single posts would be ideal next to this type of sports field.
Regarding the composition of the shelter, avoid closed partition shelters at all costs: not only do they hinder movement, but in summer, they become completely unusable ovens. I would always go with open-ground shelters or, if there is a need for a partition to protect (e.g., baseball field), with mesh that allows air circulation. Also, if you want to opt for a shelter with fabric or vinyl components, make sure none of these components are accessible from the ground to limit the risk of vandalism or accidental damage.
Q : Are hybrid goals (soccer/football, soccer/basketball hoop, etc.) a good idea?
Ideally, it would always be best to have separate goals for each sport because a combined goal can create minor but significant interference between the two sports. For example, a hybrid soccer/American football goal hinders soccer with two large posts at the top that can be hit during a shot and American football with 2 to 4 posts planted directly in front of the end zone. However, this compromise is well worth the cost-effectiveness in case of a smaller budget project or if cuts need to be made on an ongoing project, so it remains a perfectly valid option in such circumstances.
Q: What would be your three priorities when setting up a sports field?
Have regulation goals and markings for all the sports you plan to practice there. Even today, I sometimes play on American football fields where the end zones are too small, the width is non-compliant, or there are other such shortcomings. It would be a shame to spend 1.5 million dollars on a field, only to be told by the league that it is non-compliant and unusable for the intended sport.
Provide player benches, including at least one bench over 6 feet long, with a wide seat and no backrest. It is extremely important for athletes and referees to have a place to sit and breathe, but even more so to have a place to stabilize and treat an injured person. A bench without a backrest is the best improvised therapist table in case of emergency.
Have a covered area near the field. From April to November, rain and harsh weather are the number one enemy of outdoor sports. From June to August, heat adds to the challenges we face. Having a covered area near your sports field is therefore necessary. A shelter or any building with an interior accessible during the periods your fields are in use are the undisputed champions of protection against heat and harsh weather. Other options to consider for partial protection against heat, sun, and harsh weather:
A shade sail
Mature trees
Accessible areas under bleachers
Temporary installations, such as a tent or marquee
Honorable mention: Make sure to provide adequate lighting for your sports field, especially if it will be used by school sports programs. These programs practice and play most of their games in the evening (outside school hours) and during the fall and spring, when daylight hours are shorter.
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