The Best Seats
In The House

College football teams forming an employee union? Now I’ve seen everything. It sounds farfetched, but unionize they shall. After a shocking ruling by the National Labor Review Board (NLRB), football players at Northwestern University have been granted employee status, meaning they have every right to form a union. The life of a college athlete can’t be so bad that they need to seek union representation, so what gives?

Their reasoning:

First of all, Northwestern University football players, like many other student athletes, dedicate upwards of 40-50 hours per week to their sport, meaning these guys are already working overtime before you even start counting their credit hours.

As we continue to travel into the 21st century, the wonders of technology continue to advance at a staggering rate, bringing us all new ways to access information. As with anything else, these technological advancements have enabled us to explore all new ways of making sports a success for all athletes, from optimizing performance to improving upon safety on the field.

Now, an all new wearable monitoring systems are giving experts a firsthand look at what happens to an athlete’s body on the field.Computers and other gadgets are becoming more and more powerful as we develop smarter technology that is ever faster and wider reaching. While the way we grasp information technology is growing, it is at the same time shrinking in physical size. This is evident with the smart phones and tablets that we use daily, with the newest models always somehow managing to be slimmer and more lightweight than the last. But the possible applications of tiny technology have the potential to really shed some light on athletics.

For generations, women have been striving for an equal playing field with men - first in the voting booths, then in the workplace, and now literally on the playing field. When it comes to competitive and professional sports, women often have their own corresponding leagues to match the men’s, but there is an ongoing question as to the equality between the separate leagues.

The fact that women and men are physically different is not up for debate; in many cases, like with hockey, it would be unsafe for men and women to compete when physical contact is such a big part of the game. The natural size and strength imbalance between the sexes would have dangerous implications for checking, a standard part of the game

Outdoor sports are back, and it’s almost time to take to the fields for tryouts and training. It’s been so long since we’ve enjoyed grass-stained uniforms and oddly-shaped tan lines, but it’s just about that time again! With the promise of warmer weather, players and field crews alike are busy preparing for 2014 spring sports season.

While athletes are working on ball skills and conditioning, sports facility managers are taking care to prepare the turf for the first day of practice. There is much to be done to ready the grounds, from field maintenance to equipment setup. Aside from freshly painted lines on the field and sturdy goals and uprights, no field is complete without backstop netting.

Soccer Barriers

When it comes to soccer games, every second counts. After every goal, during every substitution, while setting up for free-kicks and throw-ins, you can bet that clock will be running. Cut back on stoppage time with netting barriers specially made for keeping the soccer ball on the pitch. Measuring in at 20’ high and 65’ long, the dimensions are perfect for catching those high and wide shots before they stray into the next field over.

American football is a long-time favorite in the United States, for athletes and spectators alike. Kids fall in love with the game after their first Pop Warner practice, and parents are proud to see their little star getting involved with an activity that is fun for the whole family.

Holidays like Thanksgiving in America often bring family members together for a game of friendly two-hand-touch - that is, until it’s time to watch their favorite team’s kickoff for the Thanksgiving Day NFL matchups. Super Bowl Sunday is practically a holiday in the US, gathering people together for no other reason than to celebrate the National Football League Championship.

While throwing the old pigskin is fun, nothing beats watching the pros make those hard tackles. But for years now, the elephant in the room regarding the rough nature of NFL and NCAA football in particular has been the consequential concussion rates among players.

Now that February is finally over, anticipation for the NCAA men’s Division I basketball tournament is mounting: basketball enthusiasts are making final preparations for March Madness by assembling their brackets, players and coaches are working on playbooks and strategy, and facilities managers are giving all the equipment, seating, press boxes, and all other basketball equipment their final inspection before tip off.

For fans, choosing a winner for the tournament is never a small task. There is much to consider when placing teams in your bracket, not the least of which is whether you are going to root for your hometown favorite, or put your money on the top ranked team. Team spirit is contagious this time of year, so matter which match you’re watching, you’re bound to get into the game. One thing is for sure: you won’t be missing a single basketball game this month!

We know that sporting events and university lectures aren’t exactly black tie affairs, but sometimes bleacher seating just doesn’t cut it. While a lecture hall is no place for doing the wave, a pep rally probably shouldn’t be held in an auditorium. These types of venues, and the events they house, call for a classier style of fixed seating.

Lecture Hall Seating

When a college student takes his seat in the classroom, he doesn’t need a level of comfort that rivals the recliner in his dorm room, (in fact, it’d be best if it was nowhere near that comfortable…). What student does need is a supportive chair to keep him alert, and a desk surface for taking notes.

Sport Systems has a variety of available lecture hall seating options to meet a range of different project specs and budgetary needs.

Spring is rapidly approaching, and with the melting of the snow comes the re-emergence of cyclists after a long winter hiatus.

Bicyclists are familiar members of the morning commute, often cruising by while cars are locked bumper-to-bumper. Bikes have always enabled commuters to go green while avoiding gridlock, offering an alternative to daily traffic delays. While the average bike does offer a clean, streamlined transportation option, the road to work does present some obstacles.

Among the most common woes of a cycling commuter are steep hills and long distances. In response to the needs of this growing populace, electric bike companies are taking strides to change the face of the commuter bicycle.

During the long winter months, when one snow storm after another is bringing us down, it sometimes feels like we’ll never see the spring. The best way to beat the winter blues is to stay active - lucky for athletes and sports fans, the gym provides a warm, dry indoor space to for running around until the snow melts.

So, as winter drags on outside, this is an ode to the gymnasium. Let’s pay due tribute to the space that is the home of sports when it rains and snows!

From November to April, weather rarely permits outdoor training for most sports. Nearly half the year we are driven off the fields and out of stadiums, with snow drifts hardly welcoming to a running back, let alone a rolling ball.

On two January evenings this year, the New York Rangers took part in the NHL 2014 Stadium Series with their own two-game series of outdoor hockey games held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. At the matchup Sunday January 26th, the Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 7-3. The Rangers were triumphant again in the second of their two stadium games that Wednesday, beating the New York Islanders 2-1.

These two Rangers games were just two of a total of six outdoor NHL games planned for this year’s Stadium Series, which kicked off with this year’s Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The annual New Year’s Day outdoor matchup took place at Michigan Stadium this year, with Toronto winning 3-2 in a shootout.