The Best Seats
In The House

This week officially marks the start of summer here in Canada and the United States and with that soon comes the kick-off of rugby seasons for leagues across the continent.  Professionally speaking, the USA Rugby League kicks off their season and run until their championship matches toward the end of August.

In addition to these leagues, the sport of rugby will take the world stage for the first time in 94 years at this summer’s 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil.  The last time the sport was played in Olympic competition, the United States claimed gold and is planning to defend its title with vigour when the games kick off on August 5, 2016.

Founded in 1931 by Constantine (Conn) Smythe, who was the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1927 to 1961, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment(MLSE) is a powerhouse in the professional sports arena.  In addition to controlling the National Hockey League’s most valuable franchise, the organization also owns the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association and the Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.

Outdoor and/or beach volleyball has grown in popularity with recreational and professional volleyball players since it was introduced as an Olympic sport in the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

Much the same as its indoor counterpart, beach volleyball shares the fundamental goal of sending the volleyball over a net in hopes of grounding the ball on the opposing team’s side of the court, with a few differences in game play.  The main difference is this version of the game is most widely played on a sand court rather than a rigid surface such as a gymnasium floor.

With this change of venue comes a change in equipment.  As one can imagine, a playing surface in the outdoors comes with a number of considerations and the equipment used to play the game requires it to be able to withstand the elements. 

One of our most recent projects brought us to beautiful Brantford, Ontario, a city home to some very famous former residents.  Often referred to as ‘telephone city’, Brantford is home to the telephone’s inventor Alexander Graham Bell who invented the popular device at what is now known as the Bell Homestead National Historic Site.  It is believed that the first long-distance telephone call, from Brantford to Paris, was conducted in this location back in 1876.

Brantford is also made ‘great’ as the home of one of hockey’s all-time best players, Wayne Gretzky.  The “great one” was born and raised on his backyard rink in Brantford and he continues to be an integral part of the community to this day.

Motorsports are something we at Sport Systems have taken part in and supported for a number of years.  Combining our president’s passion for racing along with the unique branding opportunities sponsorship brings to our organization, we love being a part of the action.

After sponsoring Nolan Gould’s Sport Systems’ mini stock machine with a successful season in 2014, we are back on the track.  Our most recent sponsorship brought us to the DIRT Sportsman Series running races at both Brockville and Cornwall, Ontario and more specifically, paired us up with Tom Roy of Roy Performance Motorsports.

Operating 119 fitness and lifestyle centres across the United States and Canada, the Life Time Fitness and Life Time Athletic brands are well on their way to establishing themselves as leaders in the health and wellness field.

As part of the organization’s expansion into Canada, we have been with them every step of the way.  Our team provided them with assistance and products for their Mississauga location back in 2012 and for their Ajax location just last year.

As the organization was ready to unveil yet another state-of-the-art fitness and health facility, we were right there to provide them with everything they needed once again.  The site of their most recently established Life Time Athletic location is located in the Vaughan region just north of the City of Toronto.  The facility offers members the benefits of a full-service spa, cafe, indoor cycling studio, indoor turf field, basketball courts and much more.

While customers have access on the internet to an endless amount of possibilities to upgrade or outfit their facility or stadium, they are generally unaware of all the options that exist in the way of bleacher customization.

When purchasing a big-ticket item such as a bleacher structure to safely house spectators, we have and will always aim to push the envelope, delivering highly customized products to suit the individual needs of our current and future customer base.

By showcasing our work using our blog and social media channels, we have been successful in displaying the high level of design and custom work that can be done to bleacher structures.  Whether your goal is to make your seating structures as safe as possible, expand capacity, provide accessible seating or make your bleachers mobile, we have the know-how and experience to get the job done.

Operating since 1905, the Rotary Club is made up of 1.2 million members who work diligently throughout each and every year to overcome their community’s toughest challenges.  Through the strength of the Rotary Club’s resources and partners, individual clubs are able to successfully promote peace, fight disease, support education and help communities flourish.

While we unfortunately cannot give to every organization, we do proudly support a number of charitable organizations each and every year.  As part of this mission, we are particularly proud of events that are held right here in our community, including one with which we have worked for over 35 years.

The Almonte Hospital Charity Golf Tournament, as its name suggests, supports the Almonte General Hospital-Fairview Manor Foundation.  Governed by a group of community leaders and hospital management members, the foundation sets out to provide funds to support the goals and objectives of both the hospital and the manor. 

Currently in the United States there are an estimated 24,000,000 people who play soccer in one level or another.  This statistic has increased to the tune of roughly 89 percent since 1990, and in 2015 soccer was rated more popular to watch on television than ice hockey, auto racing, tennis and golf.

In light of this growth, youth soccer programs in the United States and Canada have exploded over the past years.  What was once a sport played by young players on worn out fields is quickly becoming a premier pastime in North American society.