Five Game-Changers: the ideas, trends, teams, people, and exact moments that changed sports forever.

1 INDOOR FLOORING

By Sean Adelsohn, Indoor Marketing FieldTurf/Tarkett

Before the emergence of indoor sports surfaces, only a minute distinction existed between a gym and kitchen floor. Due to the increasing popularity of indoor fitness and athletics, the need for high performance indoor surfaces began to rise.

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The evolution took place beneath the surface, as quality grade maple was being laid upon a shock absorbing subsystem instead of concrete. This initial performance enhancing innovation formed the foundation from which all indoor sports surfacing advancements would take place.

In order to satisfy the growing demand for fitness and sports specific surfaces at all levels of performance, an assortment of hardwood and synthetic floors have been designed to meet varying performance, price and presentation standards.

Determining which floor best suits your needs depends entirely on the nature of the activity and budget. Although there are some surfaces that are deemed multi-purpose, the level of sophistication in today's marketplace has created a demand for more sport specific surfaces.

Today's sports surfaces have been scientifically engineered for consistency and stability. When choosing a hardwood surface it is of extreme importance that your fixed, floating or portable system meets or exceeds DIN, MFMA, EN, and CLA guidelines. These guidelines help to ensure that acceptable safety and quality standards have been met. These performance benchmarks relate to shock absorption, ball bounce, surface friction, vertical and area deflection, and rolling load.

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Synthetic sports surfaces have also been redesigned. Intended for activities requiring moderate performance characteristics, these surfaces are durable, cost effective and come in a wide range of colors. Also depending on the nature of the activity, synthetic surfaces can be installed with a shock absorbent subsystem in order to increase the cushioning effect experienced by the athlete.

The evolution of the indoor sports surface remains an ongoing process. With each day that passes the world of sports grows faster, stronger and more skilled than the day before. Effectively harnessing that energy through a sports surface has become the challenge for the indoor surfacing industry. Thanks to a persistent devotion to research and development, flawless customer service and product warranties; the next line of indoor sports surface innovations guarantee to meet the needs of all athletes.

2 SCOREBOARDS

By Bob Carpenter, VP Sales and Mktg. Nevco Scoreboard Company

About the only time a scoreboard becomes a focal point of a game is when something dramatic happens when time is running out, or a malfunction occurs that impacts the result of the game. Ideally, scoring systems toil unnoticed as the focus and interest of the fans are on the athletes and their team's performance. Although mechanical scoreboards have been available since 1934, the most famous incident involving a scoreboard was during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Entering the men's basketball gold medal game the United States met the Soviet Union riding a 63-game Olympic winning streak. In a tightly contested game the U.S. lost its first-ever Olympic game, 51-50. The shock of the U.S. squad losing was overshadowed by the manner in which the game concluded. The Soviet team scored the winning points after two previous attempts were replayed within the final 3 seconds of the game. The first attempt was overturned after the horn was erroneously sounded, and the second attempt was waived off because the clock was not properly reset prior to the start of play. The third sequence proved to be the charm for the Soviets. Although the litany of errors that played out at the end of the game were human malfunctions, the focus on the scoreboard was changed forever.

Today, the presence and impact of scoring systems for the players, fans and facilities are more prevalent than ever. Let's take a look at Five Game-Changers that have evolved from the scoreboard.

Basketball Shot Clock -- During the 1950 NBA season the Fort Wayne Pistons beat the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18; for some reason fans under whelmed. In 1954, the 24-second shot clock was instituted and it still controls the flow of the game today. In the first eight seasons after the shot clock was introduced, the Boston Celtics increased their scoring by 33 ppg.

Solid State Technology -- Switching the inner workings of the scoreboard from mechanical parts to electronic components truly changed the sports landscape. The change enhanced the accuracy of the timing device, while allowing features such as display tenths of a second as the game time diminishes. Fans will always remember a winning score, especially with only 2 tenths of a second remaining in the game.

Hockey Goal Light -- Light the lamp and sound the horn! When you see and hear these elements, you know you are at a hockey game. Based on the raw speed of the action, hockey is virtually the only sport where fans may not notice a score unless the goal light is pulsating and the horn is blaring.

Message Systems -- Sporting events have become much more than games on a field. Facilities look to generate additional revenue streams while enhancing the fans game day experience. Electronic Message Centers allow facilities to sell advertising to generate incremental revenue during time-outs, while also displaying game statistics, out of town scores and animations to further involve the fans. Message systems are a cost effective vehicle to upgrade a facility's look and feel.

Video Systems -- The next time you watch an NFL game, pay attention to the players after a play has concluded. It used to be that the players would run back to the huddle; now everyone looks to the scoreboard to see a replay of the previous play on the video display. Video has become a major component from the professional stadiums to high school facilities. Fans want the same benefits of watching the game at the stadium as they do from their couch at home. Video provides instant replays, up to date game statistics and high quality animations for the benefit of the fans and players alike. Incorporate a full color video display and you will create an event out of a game.

3 WEIGHT ROOMS

By Tom Proffitt, National Sales Mgr. Life Fitness/Hammer Strength

It took a while but by the early 1980s, most head football coaches realized that a strength training program was a necessity to be competitive. Unfortunately they rarely had the space to set up an adequate facility. Some schools simply didn't have the necessary space. And some administrators simply didn't get the idea. So the next evolution was the actual planning, building and provision of adequate space. Today, many high schools, virtually every major university and all the pro teams have large, specifically-designed rooms which house the necessary equipment.

Improved Strength Building Equipment: The industry that provides the equipment for strength coaches has changed significantly in the past 10 to 15 years. Previously, a large variety of small companies provided some of the equipment required for a fully-equipped facility. Now, a number of large, multifaceted companies like ours (HAMMER/Life Fitness) can do it all. They manufacture, deliver, warranty, and service absolutely everything from cardiovascular modalities to training platforms and wooden plyo boxes, to the most sophisticated of selectorized/weight-stacked machines to variable use power racks that can serve multiple functions. This has made the building, maintenance, and servicing of training facilities easier and more comprehensive.

Cohesive Strength Coaching Philosophies: With the introduction of Nautilus machines (and their imitators) through the early '70s, a chasm developed between coaching camps. Strength coaches who used machines to provide resistance often used only machines. Those who preferred barbells and dumbbells frequently wouldn't allow machines in their training rooms. Specific philosophies grew up around the use of the specific modalities. Many coaches of one philosophy would not engage coaches of the other in meaningful dialogue. In the past 10 years, however, almost all collegiate and pro strength and conditioning coaches utilize training philosophies that both recognize and encompass the best aspects of machine-based training and barbell-based training while incorporating the use of all strength building modalities for their athletes.

Dissemination of Information: Often, the latest in training information wasn't available for many coaches. Pertinent research findings frequently were not published for up to a year or two after the completion of experimentation. Property designed and safely manufactured equipment is only part of the equation. The coach must also know how to apply proven and/or scientifically supported procedures. The internet makes information available almost immediately. Telephone and written communication also allow new and innovative principles to be utilized quickly. And publications, like Coach & AD, whose monthly Power Line has been providing practical information for coaches and strength coaches for nearly 30 years, have played key roles.

Knowledgeable Athletes and Coaches: Almost every college and pro strength coach has an undergraduate degree in a subject that relates directly to strength training and conditioning. Most have post-graduate degrees and/or advanced study in a specific related field such as cardiac rehab, orthopedics, or physical therapy. This type of education, as well as experiential and hands-on training, is a given for the coaching staff. However, with most high schools across the national providing adequate strength training facilities, the high school athlete now enters college with some background in strength training and expects to be involved in a fulltime strength and conditioning endeavor throughout his collegiate or pro career. This has made it easier for coaches to "sell" their programs as the athletes come prepared to benefit from what the weight room has to offer.

4 SPORTS STRUCTURES

By Gordon Collins, Dir. of Marketing Rubb Building Systems

In recent years there has been an evolution in indoor sports facilities. Traditional indoor facilities have primarily focused on sports like swimming, gymnastics, basketball and tennis, to name a few. However, in the past decade there has been an increased demand for indoor facilities for field sports--soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, football, etc.

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This need for indoor field sport facilities is driven by the requirement that pro sport teams, communities and institutions need the ability to practice and play in all kinds of weather. Pro teams both in the U.S. and Europe led the move toward indoor practice facilities. The requirement to maximize practice time and to be 'game ready' was a critical need to insure success. Indoor practice facilities were seen to give an advantage to teams that had them.

Secondary institutions, universities, communities and the private sector also recognized the advantage of being able to practice and play in inclement weather, providing real value and allowing greater participation.

The trend toward indoor facilities has been driven by economics and the limitation imposed by traditional structure technology. Professional teams led the way because they were less constrained by economic concerns and were more open to changes in structure technology.

Pre-engineered steel buildings as well as bricks and mortar have been the traditional answer for sports facility construction. In recent years, however, the use of non-traditional structures is on the increase. Air supported and frame supported membrane (fabric) structures are beginning to gain wider acceptance as candidates for alternative forms of sports facilities. Air supported structures are those in which a constant flow of air provides the support for the structure. Frame supported tensioned membrane structures feature a steel or aluminum frame over which is tensioned an architectural membrane. These structures bring a number of attractive attributes to the sports facility arena.

Air structures are used frequently as practice sport facilities but require a constant source of energy to maintain the air pressure to keep them inflated. They are relatively quick to site and relatively easy to install. They can also be moved, as the occasion requires. Many air-supported structures feature a translucent white fabric, which allows natural day lighting to help illuminate the interior. High winds and heavy snow loads limit the locations for these particular structures.

Frame supported tension membrane structures also feature the use of a translucent membrane, which makes the interior space light and airy. These structures are also relocatable without loss of material, which gives the owner a degree of flexibility not found with traditional facilities. Framed membrane structures can also be easily lengthened or shortened as needs change. Membrane structures with vertical sidewalls and gable ends readily accept standard door and window treatments. Lighting, heating, ventilation and other mechanical systems readily interface with the framework and membrane. To date frame-supported structures have been installed with free span widths of 270' + (82m +) giving sports organizations plenty of space for multiple field sport venues.

Frame supported membrane structures also feature enhanced life safety attributes in the event of a fire. The membrane's self-venting properties (heat and smoke) mean less damage to the structure as well as safety for the occupants. Because the membrane is self-venting, fire-fighting personnel can remain safely on the ground and do not have to scale the building to vent the roof.

From an initial cost standpoint large membrane structures are also less costly to acquire than conventional structures. This has opened up the possibility of indoor facilities to an even greater number of organizations and institutions.

Diversity in design, flexibility in use and cost effectiveness will drive even greater use of indoor facilities. This, in turn, will mean more opportunities for people of all ages to increase their activity and enjoy sports in all weather facilities.

5 LIGHTING

By Dan Dwyer, VP/Sales Qualite Sports Lighting, Inc.

In response to the rapid growth in sports participation and popularity over the past five decades, athletic fields throughout North America have been illuminated in great number. This has allowed parks & recreation administrators, and high school and college officials, the option to schedule games and events at night time. The "big game" is the center of entertainment on most nights all across the land now for players and fans alike.

There have been several improvements in the design of sports lighting systems over the years. Fifty years ago, manufacturers would polish their aluminum reflectors with a bright finish to enhance the reflectivity of their fixtures hoping to increase light output. These light fixtures were not very efficient and several were needed at installation to light up fields to the required light levels. Manufacturers began to introduce new ideas that increased the efficiency of their fixtures. Embossing the inside of reflectors with various ridged patterns was implemented to help diffuse the light beams. This allowed the manufacturers to use a wider array of light beam spreads to make fields have a more uniform spread of light with less shadows. Another significant technological advance was achieved when manufacturers introduced technologies that focused on centering the arc tube of lamps in the optimum horizontal burn position. Moreover, with advancements in computer software programming, manufacturers began to utilize improved photometry to design field layouts that accurately predicted light levels. Manufacturers now can pre-aim their fixtures at precise vertical and horizontal angles on cross arms to ensure that customers will achieve the required light levels and uniformity.

Several other factors prompted manufacturers to continually improve their products. The lighting of athletic fields all across the land began to cause light pollution problems for cities and municipalities fearful that the light trespass would blind drivers on nearby roads or intrude on living rooms of stadium neighbors. The term "spill light" became part of most lighting project specifications, which forced manufactures to improve their designs so that the light was shining on the intended field target. Various shield, shroud, and beard designs were introduced to further direct the light. The influence of television has also had a significant impact on sports lighting projects. It has become increasingly important that manufacturers design fields that are illuminated bright enough with a uniform spread of light to ensure both player and viewer satisfaction.

With energy costs at all time highs, it is critical now that sports lighting manufacturers introduce systems that are extremely energy efficient. The best way to reduce energy costs for customers is to reduce the number of fixtures that are required to light the field. Fewer fixtures can save schools and cities thousands of dollars over the lifetime of an installation. Fortunately, suppliers of the major components that make up lighting systems have continually improved their products over the years which have allowed sports lighting companies a better opportunity to enhance their products as well. The latest improvements include remote control timing mechanisms that allow owners to set field lighting schedules from their phones or desktop computers, and maintenance diagnostic units that allow owners to determine lamp failure causes at eye level instead of at the tops of poles.

Lighting athletic fields has certainly changed the way we live. Fifty years ago, The World Series, The Super Bowl, the Olympics, and almost every major sporting event were played during the day time. With the trend to bring these events to the world stage, these events are now all televised during prime time night slots. It's safe to say, that sports lighting manufacturers involvement in making these spectacular events part of our culture today is one of "the game changing moments" of the past half century.