by Patrick Davidson | May 25, 2019 | Basketball, Outdoor, Residential, Uncategorized
The hilly terrain in Kentucky can make general construction in some areas a bit more challenging, but never impossible. Unfortunately, many homeowners take one look at the large hill in their yard and automatically think a basketball court is out of the question. But with our extensive court construction knowledge and a little added creativity, we have yet to find a place where a Sport Court couldn’t be built. A Functional and Beautiful Solution This homeowner was frustrated with the steep slope in their back yard which made the space essentially unusable. The kids were young athletes with a passion for basketball, but with a steep driveway and hilly yard, really had nowhere to practice and play. We were able to design and build a split level retaining wall that created a flat area for a 3 basketball goal, 30’ x 50’ half-court. With an earth tone retaining wall block and a surrounding landscaped area to accent the court, it’s both a functional athletic area as well as an aesthetically pleasing addition to the property. It’s important to have your kids playing outdoors and we enjoy taking on challenging projects to make that happen. There is no yard where a Sport Court can’t be...
by philip high | Feb 6, 2019 | Basketball, Outdoor, Residential, Uncategorized
Professional basketball player, Thurl Bailey, shares with us why he chose Sport Court for his backyard court. “The name spoke for itself” “This is about making memories… spending time with your family and having a place to do it. And Sport Court does it beter than anybody.” For more information about why Sport Court is the World’s Largest Court Builder, completing over 100,000 projects, on all seven continents and in more than 100 countries, since 1974, click...
by philip high | Jan 21, 2019 | Basketball, Indoor, Uncategorized, Volleyball
The University of the Cumblerlands, located in Williamsburg, KY, reached out to Sport Court of Kentucky at the beginning of 2018 with an interest in new flooring for their auxiliary gym. The existing hardwood floor – installed with the original building construction – was showing its age, due to settling over time and the normal wear/tear that comes with decades of use. Performance With the success of their growing volleyball and intramural sports programs, the University wanted to update to a more appropriate sport flooring. After exploring all the options, they chose Gerflor’s Taraflex® Sport M Plus, for its durability, safety performance, aesthetic appeal, and popularity in the collegiate volleyball community. The “point elastic” nature of this resilient, cushion-backed, vinyl surface returns energy to the body when absorbing shock, combating fatigue and decreasing the risk of injury. This is critical for a sport like volleyball where the players are constantly jumping, diving, and falling on the surface. …they chose Gerflor’s Taraflex® Sport M Plus for its durability, safety performance, aesthetic appeal, and popularity in the collegiate volleyball community. Custom Design The design versatility of Taraflex was also a huge bonus. The surface was custom manufactured to match their school colors, allowing them to differentiate the championship volleyball court, with a grey woodgrain look, from the surrounding Cumberlands blue of the basketball court. And of course, school logos were installed to inspire that U of C pride during matches! See before and after pictures...
by philip high | Mar 28, 2018 | Basketball, Commercial, Indoor, Uncategorized
A new gym floor is a significant investment for any facility, and one of the many important factors shaping the choice of an athletic surface is life expectancy. Hardwood, rubber, cushion-backed vinyl, polypropylene, and polyurethane athletic surfaces all have different life expectancies. While intended use, frequency of use, quality of maintenance, location of gym, and mechanical systems in the building, among other factors, all play a large role in the life of a surface, there is one unique characteristic of hardwood that has heavily influenced its continued popularity, even with the development of new synthetic options: after 20 years, it can become new again! The unique asset of a hardwood floor it’s ability to be sanded and re-finished! For every new hardwood installation we customize a yearly maintenance schedule to fit the customers needs, but the general rule of thumb, besides day to day cleaning, is that in each of the first five years, a new coat of finish is applied to the wood surface. From year six on, the maintenance coats can be adjusted to every other year. The purpose of this application is to maintain aesthetics and traction, and to protect the wood surface from damage. After 12-15 coats of finish, or 20-25 years, the floor will have a build-up of finish and no doubt have been subject to significant wear and tear – meaning… it’s ready to become new again! Case Study Cyril Allgeier Community Center Cyril Allgeier Community Center has served the Louisville community for decades, and the gym floor reflected that fact! The wood had become a dark amber color, covered with scratches, blemishes,...
by philip high | Jan 4, 2018 | Basketball, Indoor, Residential, Uncategorized
More opportunities for practice means a better chance of your youngsters reaching their personal athletic goals! Harsh Weather At the time of this writing, the current temperature in Louisville, KY is 11 degrees F, with a wind-chill factor of 1 degree. It’s safe to assume your aspiring young athletes are more likely to be gaming on their XBOX than out shooting free-throws or practicing penalty kicks in this frigid weather. The Kentucky seasons contribute greatly to the State’s unique beauty, but these harsh winter months, and the often scorching hot August temps, can hinder a young athlete’s ability to develop as a player, no matter the Sport. While most athletes have access to a school, church, or local gym at which they can put in practice during harsh weather, limited operating hours, scheduling, travel arrangements, and competition for these spaces can make it difficult to take full advantage. Hence the rise of the indoor home gym! Year-round Use An indoor home gym can constitute anything from a small room in the basement with a hoop, to a multi-sport building suitable for entertaining the high school basketball team. The important aspect is that its located on your property and able to be used whenever you see fit, especially on those hot or cold days. Whether you are building a new home or planning an addition to your current one, working an indoor home gym into the plans will provide a space for your young athletes to practice year-round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More opportunities for practice means a better chance of your youngsters reaching their personal...
by philip high | Jun 30, 2017 | Basketball, Outdoor, Residential
Homeowners generally have at least a rough vision for the recreation area they would like to build, but also have a frequent concern: Space. “I’m not even sure we have enough space for a Sport Court,” “Our yard is on a hill,” “We have a small lot,” “There are tons of trees.” Having reservations about a project of this magnitude is only natural – a basketball court is a difficult and unusual structure to visualize on your property. “I’m not even sure we have enough space for a Sport Court” A professional Court Builder can tell you if your idea for a Sport Court is possible and help you find a design that will fit your landscape, budget, and intended uses. Take the following case, for example. Growing Pains and Our Solution This family already enjoyed an in-ground pool in their backyard, but as their eldest son started to develop a love for basketball (University of Louisville in particular), they wanted a safe, high-performing space for him to develop his game. Their concerns were that the Sport Court not completely consume the remaining limited greenspace, be aesthetically pleasing, and still provide adequate space to practice important aspects of the game – the free-throw lane and 3-point line are integral to the players’ development of spatial awareness on the court. Installing what we in the biz call a “shooting court,” framed up against the garage, was the perfect solution. A customized version of a reduced half-court (16’ wide x 29’ long in this case) gave this young athlete a space where he could practice his free-throws, 3-point shot, and even...
