The Best Seats
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Nothing brings the student body together like a good old fashioned pep rally! No matter the sport, pep rallies have long represented the tradition of unity and community pride in a group of students that together are more than just a team.

The esteemed student athletes who are lauded at a pep rally represent the highest potential of the student body, and without the warm and enthusiastic support of their peers, their success would not be as sweet. In a gymnasium full of young people, all bathed in school colors and gushing with school spirit, it is impossible not to be a fan of the home team!

Although not limited to athletics, school pride has strong roots there. Students leave the gymnasium after a pep rally newly inspired, ready to uphold their school’s reputation of excellence. Some might be prompted to challenge their local rival to a charity food drive contest; others might be raring to bring home that Math trophy for Hometown High; others will be proud to sport school colors while volunteering in the community for the National Honor Society. Not every student is an athlete, but every student benefits from the boost in self-esteem that comes with being a part of a winning team. Pride in one’s school means pride in oneself.

From pee-wees to the big leagues, and even sandlots and pick-up games, a competitive edge is in our nature as humans. It drives and motivates us to be our best, and it makes games fun! Youth competitiveness in sports is healthy, but it can lead kids to injury. By taking the necessary safety precautions in your sports facility, you can help prevent your players from getting hurt during gameplay. 

Millions of high school students take to the field every year for a season of their favorite sport that always feels like it ends too soon. Of the many virtues of youth is the raw passion that embodies young people in all that they do, especially on the playing field. During an eight-week season, student athletes will give 100% every day. While participating in youth sports does come with its long list of benefits - improved physical fitness, lessons in sportsmanship, character building, scholarships - the unbridled energy of youth also contributes to an estimated two million injuries in high school sports each year.

It’s getting late in the game. The starting lineup has been running up and down the court for what feels like an eternity. It’s time to sub out the first string and get them off their feet for a couple minutes. Where can they take a load off when they are tagged out of the match? The floor is no place for your team! I hope your second string players had a nice place to sit for the first half! Make sure your athletes have a proper place to rest their legs: on a sturdy aluminum and steel bench!

A solid in-ground players bench is the backbone of any strong team. Not only does it provide support for a winded player, but it also keeps your team organized on the sidelines. Nothing looks more professional than having the whole team lined up together on the bench in uniform, eyes on the action and waiting to sub in. Whether basketball or field hockey, football or tennis, a team bench will ensure your sideline players are rested as well as focused on the in-game action.

The great Bobby Hull's reputation precedes him when it comes to his legendary hockey slapshot.The NHL superstar, widely known as the "Golden Jet," raised the bar for the future of hockey during his career half a century ago. In his time on the ice, before face masks and curved sticks, his rifle of a shot was a rare and dangerous weapon. Today, a killer slapshot is a the kingpin of every hockey player's artillery.

In 2012, Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins fired a puck at 108.8 mph, the NHL's fastest recorded slapshot. The world record for the hardest shot in the game is currently held by the KHL's Alexander Ryazantsev, clocked at 113.2 mph. Legend has it that Hull's were even faster than that, his hardest estimated to have been a 119.5 mph rocket. These guys are tough acts to follow, but the newest batch of future hockey stars are training hard to compete with these epic puck speeds.

Basketball is undoubtedly one of the most popular ball sports around; invented in 1891, this sport certainly came a long way and is one of the most lucrative sports played in North America today. It's a game where professionals earn millions and friends enjoy a challenging exercise session. Either way, you will need a decent hoop if you want to enjoy this energetic game to its fullest. 

Choose Your Game 

Before you buy your hoop, decide where you want to use it. You can play inside or outside, allowing you to choose between a  portable, wall-mounted or in-ground hoop. Portable hoops are secured by a large plastic container that you can fill with water or sand. It's much easier to assemble than other alternatives but of course not as stable. 

Wall-mounted hoops are attached with a bracket to the wall and since they don't have a pole, you can easily fit the hoop above your garage door. Keep in mind that these hoops are very convenient but not very sturdy as other options. 

If you want to enjoy this sport outside, you will benefit from an in-ground hoop. An in-ground hoop is a bit harder to install but they are very sturdy and will last for years at a time. This is the best option for a permanent setup. 

Winter is upon us! The temperature may be dropping, but the indoor sports season is just heating up. There's no rest for the chilly, so don't let cold temperatures and snow on the field get in the way of your team's training regimen. When it is time to bring the sports indoors for the winter season, will your space be ready? Sports Systems can outfit your gym space or indoor arena with all the necessary equipment for the winter season.

Tom Dempsey holds the record for longest field goal in an NFL game at a whopping 63 yards. 

Tom Dempsey only has one and a half feet. 

Maybe that half foot gave him a distinct advantage. Perhaps it forced him to train harder than the next guy. Either way, its easy to overlook the efforts of a kicker. Though they often score points when it matters most, they never seem to garner the same respect as a quarterbacks or receiver. Not to mention they're paid way less! 

Don't overlook the kicking game. Don't overlook your football goal posts.

Football goal posts may seem like an afterthought to an outdoor facility. They're just there on the periphery, used only for a single sport and only a few times a game. 

But they're essential! 

Sport Systems offers a couple of options for your field. If space is a concern we found a pretty clever solution in a combination football goal post and soccer goal hybrid setup. Constructed of both 2 and 4 inch square tubing, our durable hybrid unit is sandblasted and powder coated for durability. Mother nature, bring it on! 

David and Goliath Walk Into a Gym. Together. 

We at Sport Systems enjoy a challenge. 

Our record of large scale renovations and seating solutions speaks to our engineering and execution capabilities, something PROFIT Magazine mentioned specifically while ranking us among the 500 fastest growing companies in Canada. Look no further than our projects with Carleton University, Queen's University, and the University of Ottawa. We're proud to say our seating will be enjoyed for years to come as football begins making a return to Ottawa.

We're also proud to supply peripheral equipment to the Frank Clair Stadium project at Landsdowne Park. This ambitious stadium marks a departure from traditional "grandstand" architecture and embraces a provocative, modern look sure to endure the coming decades. With this project we're excited to play a small role in bringing CFL Football back to Ottawa in 2014. Ottawa Fury FC will also enjoy this world class facility. 

So our solutions are proven to work well in both traditional and contemporary designs. All of the projects mentioned above were ambitious in scale, but ambitious doesn't necessarily mean massive. Sometimes, the solution to a large project seems rather obvious. Other times, what you might call a "smaller" project presents unique challenges that send us back to the drawing board. 

Let's spend a second talking about where the rubber meets the road and the pedal meets the metal! Neither of these really fit today's subject exactly, but they aren't entirely irrelevant. Gymnasiums and sports facilities are where the human body tests its limits against itself, against others, and most often, against gravity. Many sports require a forgiving surface, whether for the prevention of injury or because a routine demands a cushioned finale, like in gymnastics. Gymnastic crash pads and mats are essential to any gym where gymnastics or any gymnastic-inspired activities are taking place. Plus, who doesn't love diving headfirst into a 30-inch sea of foam?

Sport Systems Canada gymnastic crash pads are available in far too many choices to list here. That's why we have a website. What you need to know about all the sizes you'll see listed is that our pads are made of 44 ILD (Indention Load Reflection) polyurethane foam. If you're not a foam enthusiast who knows exactly what means off the top of your head, rest assured. The short explanation is that a 12 x 12 x 4 inch slab of our foam can withstand 44 pounds of weight before taking an indention. Luxury memory foam beds usually have an ILD of about 14. This means our foam is durable and supportive without feeling swampy to athletes climbing on and off of it. 

We've taken a few opportunities to show you current projects we're excited about to help you understand what we're capable of on a client-to-client basis. Truth be told, seeing individual projects through from start to finish gives us that special pride for a job well done. 

But, sometimes focusing on individual projects can make you lose sight of the big picture. For instance, Sport Systems' commitment to growing communities through sport equipment has been a successful strategy for building relationships and, in turn, our business.

One can be a metric for the other. 

Alright, alright. We don't like to toot our own horn, but from time to time it's nice to take a step back and appreciate how far we've come. This also helps us decide where to go in the future. 

So, let's crunch some numbers...