News & Articles https://sportsbuilders.org/news/default.asp Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:44:25 GMT Wed, 27 May 2026 18:26:00 GMT Copyright © 2026 American Sports Builders Association How to Build Sustainable Athletic Facilities that Reduce Costs https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=728081 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=728081 Ask anyone what they’re doing to make their sports facility more sustainable, and they’ll likely shrug and mumble something about recycling on game day. The truth is, however, that sustainability is a complex concept. It goes beyond deciding which bin should be used for plastic pop bottles or whether red Solo cups are recyclable. (Spoiler alert: They aren’t.) Continue reading...]]> Wed, 27 May 2026 19:26:00 GMT The Evolution of Field Lighting Systems https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=726062 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=726062 The first generation of LED sports lighting hit the market shortly after the first decade of the new millennium. Manufacturers peg the window as being anywhere between 2010 and 2014. One thing that can’t be disputed is the big milestone: The first NFL game to be played under LED lighting took place at what is now State Farm Stadium in Phoenix in 2015 — and that was Super Bowl XLIX. And that, by all accounts, was a remarkable first impression. Continue reading...

]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:15:00 GMT Multi-Sport, Multi-Season, One Field https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=717736 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=717736 They work hard at sports for three and sometimes even four seasons continuously. They also help host graduations and the occasional community concert or fair. So why doesn't your athletic field have a varsity letter?

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]]> Fri, 9 Jan 2026 15:48:00 GMT Budget Crunch? You Can Still Renovate Your Field https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=717150 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=717150 “Champagne taste on a beer budget” is a familiar expression. But what is the corollary when it comes to sports facility upgrades: World Series taste on a tee-ball budget?

That might be an overstatement, but the struggle to make do with limited finances is a very real and pressing concern nationwide. And, of course, the next question is this: What can you do to economize without sacrificing the final project?

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]]> Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:08:00 GMT Ready For Primetime - Start Now For A Successful Summer Of Soccer https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=712170 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=712170 During this past summer, the world beat a path to America’s doorstep for the FIFA Club World Cup. The cities that hosted (Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Pasadena, Calif.; Cincinnati, Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, and East Rutherford, N.J.) were able to realize economic benefits in hotel stays, restaurant business, and visits to area attractions.

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]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2025 23:26:00 GMT Have a Project to Bid Out? Start Here https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=709691 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=709691 After much debate and discussion, you're ready to add anther sports facility. Maybe it's a field. Maybe it's a tennis or pickleball court. Maybe it's a venue to host a trendy new sport like padel, an old favorite like croquet or bocce, or even a different amenity like a dog park. But no matter what it is, you're ready to take that next step to get it built. So, what happens next? 

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]]> Tue, 9 Sep 2025 14:00:00 GMT Planning a Dog Park? Start Here https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=702604 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=702604 Several decades ago, the gotta-have amenity for housing developments, community associations and apartment and condominium complexes was the swimming pool.

Fast forward to today, and priorities have shifted. Now, dog parks are in demand. According to the Trust for Public Land, since 2009 there was a whopping 40 percent increase in the number of dog parks being built nationwide.

Just as with sports fields, dog park construction has changed in the intervening years, and nowhere has it changed more than in the surfaces used. 

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]]> Sun, 1 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT Flag Football Gains Yardage in Parks and Rec https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=699785 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=699785 It’s difficult to miss the news about youth flag football’s growth. Consider the following:

  • The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has seen such high
    demand that rules are expected to be published as soon as this month.

  • The NFL Pro Bowl discarded its tackle game and replaced it with flag football as part of
    the NFL Pro Bowl Games.

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]]> Thu, 1 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT Tracking Trends: The Evolution of Track and Field Facilities https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=692957 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=692957 Track and field may be one of the oldest sports in the world, but that doesn't mean it's staying static. And although it's no secret that the granular surfaces such as cinder, fired clay and expanded shale have been left in the dust, it's easy to lose sight of what really is new in facilities these days. 

According to Sam Fisher of Fisher Tracks in Boone, Iowa, the arms race to have the best and newest sports venues is showing no signs of slowing down - at both the high school and college levels. 

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]]> Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:00:00 GMT Going to the Dogs: Areas for Canines Must Be Well-Designed to Ensure Success https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=692958 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=692958 Dog parks are having their day, becoming the amenity not only in parks but in neighborhoods at both the urban and suburban levels, as well as in multifamily settings.

Statistics from the Trust for Public Land show that, between 2009 and 2020, there was a 40 percent increase in the development of public dog parks. In fact, the parks are more in-demand than swimming pools in many installations. For municipalities that have been asked to build a dog park, it is imperative that officials understand the design considerations.

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]]> Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:00:00 GMT On the surface: Considerations for Nature Grass and Turf Surfaces https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=689880 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=689880 There are plenty of choices to be made when putting in a field but one of the first is whether that field
will have a natural grass or a synthetic turf surface. To be clear: There is no right choice or wrong choice;
there is only the choice that is right for the individual school. However, since surface selection will affect almost every aspect of the project, decisions need to be made early on in the planning process.

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]]> Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:00:00 GMT Building Relationships: How to Choose the Right Contractor https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=688999 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=688999 Maybe you have a greater demand for fields thanks to the growth of sports like lacrosse, flag football or even cricket. Perhaps the powers that be have decided to upgrade that playing surface. Maybe some changes such as drainage or irrigation are needed, and you want to make sure they are done correctly. No matter the reason, the upshot is that you need a contractor - and not just any contractor, but one who understands and specializes in sports field construction. 

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]]> Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:00:00 GMT Consumer Demands Driving New Trends in Sports Fencing https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=688993 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=688993 "Problem-Solving" might be the buzz phrase for 2025 when it comes to fencing for sports facilities. In fact, most of what drives the design, manufacturing and construction industry forward in sports is understanding what consumers want. 

 The American Sports Builders Association provides an overview of key trends

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]]> Tue, 3 Dec 2024 01:17:00 GMT Sustainability: An Overview for Athletic Directors https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=691754 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=691754 If we go to the dictionary, sustainability has multiple definitions. Those currently getting the most attention, and having the most impact upon athletic directors nationwide, are the following: "Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance" and "The pursuit of global environmental sustainability." 

Everywhere you look, there is pressure to follow the three Rs of recycling, reuse, and reduce. But once you have added recycling bins around the school (including in and around sports facilities), what else is there to do, particularly to fields, includes a few key elements:

Click here to continue reading the 2024 Fall Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, page 42

]]> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:00:00 GMT Creative Field Layouts for More Sports in Less Space https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687125 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687125 Whether it's the adage about doing more with less or the one about fitting the round peg into the square hole, it applies to parks. 

In the course of trying to expand the offerings for hosting sports (including camps, leagues, school plays, showcases and even travel tournaments) in a limited amount of space, landlocked communities have seen the rise of some incredibly creative field designs. And having these in play can make a tremendous difference in the ability to effectively monetize a facility. 

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]]> Sat, 2 Nov 2024 14:00:00 GMT Smaller Field, Faster Game: How to Incorporate the New Olympic Lacrosse Format into Park Play https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687182 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687182 Lacrosse is ready for its close-up.

But that close-up won’t come until 2028, when lacrosse will be featured as a showcase sport at the Olympics in Los Angeles. However, that’s actually a good thing because that gives parks (and player camps) an opportunity to get up to speed on the new format: sixes lacrosse, or more simply, sixes.

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]]> Thu, 5 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT Synthetic Turf: Updates from the Field https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687188 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687188 Some key advancements in sports facilities are in the area of synthetic turf. The following is a synopsis
of some of those changes, as compiled by the American Sports Builders Association and recorded
in its publication, Sports Fields: Construction and Maintenance Manual.

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a multi-agency research report on synthetic turf sports fields that use crumb rubber infill. The findings showed no significant difference in the exposure to certain chemicals between players who played on synthetic turf fields that used crumb rubber infill and those who played on natural grass fields. In making its report, the EPA also cited three independent studies regarding synthetic turf fi elds or system components

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]]> Tue, 3 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT Dark Sky Concerns: Environmental Impact is the Newest Force Affecting Field Lighting https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687229 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687229 Sports facilities have long been a showcase for the newest technologies to help athletes perform better and to help spectators enjoy the experience even more. From better surfaces to better equipment to better peripherals such video boards and messaging systems, there is a lot of pressure to keep up.

But although a lot of attention is paid to the developments on the fi eld, not as much is afforded to what’s coming from above: the light, and how the systems providing it have evolved.

LED lighting has largely replaced the metal halide of years past, and advancements in technology are continuing at a rapid pace.

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]]> Sat, 10 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT Problems Unseen https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687174 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687174 Sometimes, not everything is black and white. There are plenty of shades of gray between.

And in sports, that can cause a problem. Colorblindness (also known as color vision deficiency and CVD) among youth athletes is not uncommon; in fact, according to UK-based organization Colour Blind Awareness (CBA), approximately one in 12 males and one in 200 females are colorblind. In the U.S., 13 million people have the condition.

Let that sink in for a minute: nearly 10 percent of all men have colorblindness. That means on each
boys’ (or men’s) sports team that plays in a park, odds are at least one person is colorblind.

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]]> Mon, 5 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT Crafting an Effective RFP for Sports Field Projects https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=670206 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=670206 Crafting a request for proposal (RFP) when it comes to having work done on your field can set the stage for success throughout the project. That’s why it is essential to put in the work in advance.

The RFP, when correctly presented, will give prospective vendors everything they need to know. This results in you receiving proposals that, while they may come from different contractors, cover all the work you want performed. To get started, ask yourself the following questions...

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]]> Sun, 10 Mar 2024 21:14:00 GMT Take Advantage of the Terrain https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=670204 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=670204 Adding sports facilities to parks might be a tough sell to administrators; after all, even post-pandemic, it’s difficult to justify construction expenses.

But what if there was a sport that could use the existing landscape and, in fact, welcomed obstacles like rocks, trees, and sloping grades? What if, at the same time, that sport brought in plenty of foot traffic that also deterred vandals?

Sounds like a win/win, doesn’t it? Disc golf can bring home that dual victory. In essence, all that’s needed is a space, a course design, baskets—and the ability to market the game.

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]]> Mon, 4 Mar 2024 21:00:00 GMT Facility Focus: With the Winter Comes Football Field Maintenance https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687232 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=687232 The holidays are finally in the rearview. Basketball and other indoor sports are in full swing. All that
can mean only one thing: It is time to start thinking about your football field.

If that sounds a little soon, consider this. Spring is on its way and in many jurisdictions, football fields will be hosting lacrosse and soccer, in addition to any football tryouts or preseason practices. It just makes sense to evaluate the condition of those facilities now, to get any necessary repairs done before you have to work around game schedules. Here’s how to get started.

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]]> Thu, 1 Feb 2024 14:00:00 GMT Are Your Fields Ready For Winter? https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=655644 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=655644 Students have returned to school, leaves are falling and, depending on where you are, homecoming might be in the rear-view mirror – all of which means, if you work in a four-season climate, you’ll have to get your field ready for winter.

And you know what? Even if you work in a climate where sports run all year long, it never hurts to have your fields receive a little extra care as the seasons change from football to field hockey to lacrosse. Here are some best practices for winterizing fields – or just from moving them seamlessly from season to season. After all, even in warm climates, sometimes resting fields between sports is needed.

“Often, the coaching staffs and the ADs run their programs from a calendar, and there is no room for any field recovery in the schedule,” said Mike Munie of Perfect Playfields and Links.

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]]> Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:44:00 GMT Use Shade to Increase Use of Sports Facilities https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=654733 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=654733
In other words, the social experience is its own part of the game. If your park regularly hosts sports (for adults or youth), one of the best ways to drive engagement is to play up the enjoyable aspects of the experience.

Now, ask yourself: Are your sports facilities doing the same thing? If you haven’t carved out space for people to sit and enjoy sports in progress, the facilities aren’t quite as welcoming as they can be. Here are a few
ideas to up the fun factor and bring in the people.

Click here to continue reading....]]> Tue, 10 Oct 2023 15:06:00 GMT Catching the Cricket Bug https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=650487 https://sportsbuilders.org/news/news.asp?id=650487 There’s no end to the number of sports that have been brought to the USA through immigration, such as soccer, field hockey, and rugby. And that’s not even taking into consideration other popular fixtures on the competition calendar like wrestling and track and field. The fact is, one would be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of mainstream sports that do not have roots outside of North America.

The latest field sport to make headlines—and one of the fastest growing—is cricket. Driven by demographic shifts, cricket is expanding in popularity to the point that cricket-specific facilities are becoming necessary. (The Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, a large county park in Lauderhill, Fla., hosts the only cricket stadium in the United States. And while that stadium regularly fields play for other sports as well, its presence is a testament to the sport’s rise in this country.)

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