flooring for indoor sport

4Indoor sports floors can be grouped into three types: those that deform at the point of impact, those that spread the deformation over a greater area and those that provide a combination of the two. Various characteristics should be considered when choosing the most appropriate surface to install. Impact absorption or force reduction is the most obvious as it determines the suitability of a system to absorb impacts, essential in reducing the risk of injury to participants.

Ball bounce

Elasticity indicates the capacity of the surface to restore the energy of an impact, while ball bounce should be created as close as possible to that achieved on a concrete slab. This can be a complex balance, particularly where floors provide high surface deformation.

allowing for controlled sliding and ease of foot movement, with enough grip to prevent slipping

Deformation characteristics will depend on the type of flooring chosen, but should not be too soft as this would be dangerous, particularly when changing direction. Although grip is, in part, guaranteed when the sole of a shoe and the floor come into contact, the surface

Change 4 Life funding

clubs in secondary schools and colleges. The clubs will give youngsters of all abilities the opportunity to play a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports including:

S

• Badminton • Boccia • Fencing • Handball • Table tennis • Volleyball • Wheelchair basketball.

should allow for controlled sliding and ease of foot movement, with enough grip to prevent slipping. Health and Safety legislation and the

Construction (Design & Management) Regulations place statutory obligations on designers and facility operators, including schools, to ensure sports facilities are fit and safe for use throughout their life. Selecting sports surfaces that comply with the relevant new Standards can help ensure many of these obligations are met.

Mike Harrison is marketing manager

at Tarkett.

www.tarkett.com

The money will pay for new equipment and qualified coaches to run the clubs alongside young volunteers. The first clubs will open in 2010 autumn term, with all of them up and running by spring 2011. These clubs will give thousands of teenagers the chance to take up sports they may never have played before, explains Sport England’s chief executive, Jennie Price. “Getting involved in sport when the school day is over is an important step towards continuing participation into adulthood.” Change 4 Life Sports Clubs are being

funded by the DCMS (£3.38m), Department of Health (£1.5m) and a Lottery grant from Sport England (£1m). Schools will develop the clubs in partnership with sports governing bodies, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust.

www.change4life.co.uk

IX MILLION pounds of government and Lottery funding is being used to create the network of 3,000 new

To a point

Tarkett’s Omnisports PVC sports floors are multipurpose surfaces that deform under point loads. They are available in a wide range of colours and wood effects, and in three thicknesses to satisfy varying degrees of shock absorption and sports performance requirements. The floors can be used in combination with the Lumaflex sub-structure system to provide both point and area deflection to increase the performance characteristics of the system.

Change4Life is a campaign bringing government, community groups, health workers, teachers, and businesses together.

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