The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the national organization for builders and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities, announced the publication of its groundbreaking new resource, Courts & Recreational Surfaces: Construction and Maintenance Manual.
The book is the latest in ASBA’s Construction and Maintenance Manual series, and promotes quality design, construction, maintenance and repair of track facilities by providing information to facility owners, administrators, coaches, athletic directors, builders, architects, engineers and others in the industry. It is also an invaluable resource to parks and recreation officials, homeowners associations, home builders and those who manage and operate club, league, intramural and recreational sports programs.
Unlike other ASBA books that focus on one sport, or on one type of facility, the new publication includes information on an array of facilities for sports never before covered by ASBA, including:
- Volleyball (Beach, Indoor, Snow, Sitting and Grass Courts)
- Basketball (Indoor, Outdoor and 3×3)
- Beach Tennis
- Padel
- Team Handball (Indoor and Beach)
- Playgrounds and Floor Games
- Para Sports (Goalball, Indoor Wheelchair Rugby, Sitting Volleyball, Soccer for the Blind, etc.)
- Dodge Ball (Indoor and Playground Version)
- Cricket
- Lacrosse (Box and Beach)
- Hockey (Indoor/Floor and Beach)
- Rugby (Beach Touch and Flag)
- Cheer, STUNT, Acro & Tumbling
- Disc Golf and Footgolf
- Wrestling, Boxing, Martial Arts
- …and multiple others.
The book covers the construction and maintenance of facilities on specific types of surfaces, including indoor (wood and acrylic flooring), beach/sand (facilities built in landlocked areas as well as in waterfront areas), outdoor hardscapes (asphalt and concrete surfaces), grass/synthetic turf (facilities for sports not presently included in the ASBA’s Sports Fields Manual), other sports surfacing systems (including modular and roll-out surfaces) and mixed surfaces (including facilities for horseshoes, snow volleyball and bocce). The book also has upwards of 50 new diagrams illustrating not only playing areas but construction and maintenance details. It also has chapters on accessories, amenities and equipment for various sports, as well as on lighting (indoor and outdoor.) It has extensive contact information on industry resources, as well as listings on each sports diagram of the appropriate governing bodies.
“This manual is groundbreaking in every way,” said David Clapp, CTB, CTCB, Chairman of ASBA. “Our members have let us know there is an increasing demand for a wider variety of sports venues, whether those are located in parks, on the campuses of colleges and high schools, in clubs and even in backyards. By creating this publication, we have given these entities, and the industry as a whole, a comprehensive resource to get the information they need without doing a random Internet search that could provide inaccurate information.”
“ASBA has long been considered a leader in providing information about quality sports facility design and construction,” said Jay Henley, who chaired the committee that produced the book. “With the publication of the new manual, we have continued that tradition. “This book will be an invaluable resource to all sectors of the industry, including many we have never reached before.”
Information on ordering the book can be found on ASBA’s website, www.sportsbuilders.org. On the blue toolbar at the top of the page, mouse over Resources, then select Publications. The cost is $59.95, and the book can be purchased in either hard copy or pdf format.
The Association offers four other publications: Tennis Courts: Construction and Maintenance Manual, Pickleball Courts: Construction & Maintenance Manual, Running Tracks: A Construction and Maintenance Manual and Sports Fields: A Construction and Maintenance Manual, all of which are also available on the website under the Publications tab.
The ASBA is a non-profit association helping designers, builders, owners, operators and users understand quality sports facility construction. The ASBA sponsors informative meetings, publishes newsletters, books and technical construction guidelines for athletic facilities, and keeps its members aware of the latest developments in the industry. It also offers voluntary certification programs in tennis court, running track and sports field construction, as well as a certificate program on pickleball construction.
For information on the ASBA, as well as on its publications, activities and upcoming meetings, please contact the Association at 2331 Rock Spring Road, Forest Hill, Maryland 21050. The phone number is 443-640-1042. The ASBA also may be reached via its website: www.sportsbuilders.org, or via e-mail at info@sportsbuilders.org.