The Best Seats
In The House

A project just over a year in the making, the fall of 2017 marked the final construction and opening of the Portage Lewis Fitness Centre in New Brunswick. As a part of Portage Atlantic, a non-profit organization specializing in drug addiction rehabilitation for Atlantic Canadian youth, construction of the facility was kicked off in January 2017.

As the project progressed through the summer months, our team was contacted to help design and install a number of basketball systems in the facility’s gymnasium.

Look up, way up in most gymnasiums across North America and you are likely to find a ceiling-suspended basketball system strung across the rafters in any number of configurations. 

Designed to be easily removed when necessary, these ceiling-hung units make allowances for a lack of space or distance restraints from other traditional installation methods such as wall attachments. As with the other equipment located within the walls of any gymnasium, these products are designed to provide a safe playing environment for all to enjoy.

That said, our installation process is a diligent one, ensuring these systems are correctly installed, configured and operated.  While the installation process will vary across the different available configurations, the below guidelines are general in nature and provide an overview of the process.

Whether the gymnasium in your facility is old or new, it is guaranteed to have unique design nuances that can at times, make planning for new equipment challenging. When it comes to planning the replacement of existing basketball systems or the implementation of new ones, there are many factors that come into play.

In addition to space restrictions, facility managers must first identify the intended use of the basketball systems to be installed. Depending on the size of the gym, many facilities offer full-sized basketball courts, cross-court basketball systems or a combination of the two. When planning the design of new basketball systems, we first must identify how many will be required and where they will be placed.

After ten long years without a community sports complex, a Northwest Territories community finally has a new facility to call their own.  With the construction of the building completed in the fall of 2016, the new 50,000 square foot facility took nearly two years to build and now houses the community’s very own ice rink, gymnasium, youth centre, exercise room and office space.

Working with a nearly $15 million budget, the small Tlicho community of Behchoko is home to roughly 2,000 residents who until recently, shared the facilities of two local schools for athletic use.

Named after one of Canada’s Fathers of Confederation, George Brown College boasts three full educational campuses in the heart of downtown Toronto.  Serving a variety of programs covering arts, design, business, community services, early childhood education, and construction and engineering technologies, George Brown College is asserting itself as a leading educational institution in North America.

We were connected with key stakeholders at George Brown College in the summer of 2016 when they reached out to us with the interest of revamping their basketball systems and gymnasium facility at their St. James Campus. 

All told, there was a total of six basketball systems that were in need of replacement but the facility itself presented some unique logistical challenges, particularly when it came to moving large equipment in and out of the location.

With literally millions of gymnasiums, athletic complexes and other facilities here in North America, designing athletic equipment with a one-size-fits-all approach would be useless.  Ranging from facilities built 30 or more years ago to the high-tech and architecturally stunning facilities we are slowly becoming accustomed to today, no two gymnasiums are alike.

When it comes to basketball systems, in particular, much of the configuration and installation methods are heavily dependent on the space allotted, ceiling height and other architectural nuances.  With that in mind, a lot of facilities today opt for either a wall-mounted basketball system, a ceiling-suspended system, or both.

Image: Cheap Snow Gear

As we ease into the month of October, the coming cold winter months are undoubtedly approaching faster than most of us would like.  Despite being treated with football seasons and October baseball, all of us in the athletic industry must be vigilant in preparing for the winter months, particularly in protecting and extending the life of any outdoor equipment.

While most of the products we market for outdoor use are more than capable of withstanding everything Jack Frost can throw at it, some preventative maintenance and small tweaks can certainly help certain pieces of equipment brave the elements.

Not far from our offices on the outskirts of town, this project brought us to one of Ottawa’s most well-respected post-secondary educational institutions; the University of Ottawa.  In addition to being situated in the very heart of Canada’s Capital, the University of Ottawa is also the world’s largest bilingual university, serving students in both English and French.

This project found our team on the campus of this historic university as they were in the process of upgrading the current basketball systems in the university’s athletic complex.  In total, the school was interested in upgrading four wall-mounted basketball systems, complete with a new design, which would allow the facility to move the nets out of the way for other events held in the gymnasium.

Ecole Elementaire Publique Carrefour Jeunesse is situated in the community of Rockland, Ontario, east of the city of Ottawa.  A small, bilingual community bordered by the Ottawa River to the north and Larose Forest to the south, Rockland has transformed into a picturesque location offering visitors plenty of vibrant outdoor activities.

With a new school year just around the corner, athletic directors, planners and maintenance staff are busy preparing for the upcoming term.  With a new influx of students, programming and amenities, now is the perfect time to quickly inspect your athletic equipment.

While in most cases, a professional inspection is always your best bet, they are not always entirely necessary, especially if your facility is diligent about year-round maintenance.  If however, you are unsure as to the condition of any piece of equipment, we urge you to schedule an inspection with a certified professional.

Here are few quick checks you and your staff can make in a number of different areas to ensure your athletic equipment such as basketball systems, bleachers and other sport-oriented products are ready to roll for the 2016-2017 season.