Know a good field? Maybe the whole athletic industry should know, too.
The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA)’s awards program, recognizing outstanding athletic facilities, is now open.
Awards are presented in various categories: Sports Fields, Tennis Courts, Running Tracks and Indoor Multi-Purpose Facilities. Within each category there are subdivisions; for example, the Fields category recognizes Single Field Facilities and Multiple-Field Facilities. In addition, there are honors in the ‘Green’ competition, for athletic facilities that used the most eco-friendly design, construction and operating techniques.
Note: Field facilities may be natural or synthetic turf, or hybridized fields. All types of sports fields are eligible; in previous years, awards have gone to soccer, field hockey, football, baseball and softball fields, as well as others.
To be eligible for entry into the awards program, a facility must have been designed by, or built by, an ASBA member company. (To look up whether a company is a member, go to www.sportsbuilders.org, and use the “Find A Builder/Designer/Supplier” search feature on the right-hand side of the page).
The ASBA member who designed or built the facility must be the one to enter it in the awards program; facility owners who are interested should get in touch with their builder or designer to urge them to enter. Also in order to be eligible for this round of awards, projects submitted must have been completed within the current year or within the previous two calendar years (ending Dec. 31). The deadline for entry is June 1, 2012.
Over the years, ASBA’s awards program has honored fields in municipal, private, school, university, stadium, club or other settings; they have been built for the use of professionals, students, rec leagues and the public.
The judging of awards entries is done anonymously by a panel of ASBA members. Presentation of award plaques is made at the Technical Meeting, to take place next December in Orlando, Florida. Winning facilities receive a plaque and are recognized in associations announcements and in articles written in various industry magazines. ASBA member companies whose projects win awards are further urged to publicize the award to their local newspapers and others.
Projects are scored individually based on considerations such as layout and design, site work, drainage, base construction, surface, amenities, innovation and overall impression. Winning entries are those whose cumulative scores meet or exceed the standard.
A list of award winners will be posted on this blog after the Technical Meeting, or those interested may go to http://www.sportsbuilders.org/ to receive complete information once all presentations have been made.
Want more information about ASBA or its awards program, including lists of previous award winners? Go to http://www.sportsbuilders.org/, and from the toolbar at the top of the page, select “About Us” and then, using the drop-down menu, choose “Awards.”