Did you know that basketball players land with 3x the force of their natural bodyweight when they rebound or do a lay-up?
Court surface matters.
Shock absorption is the ability of a sports floor to reduce the force of impact on one’s body. The shock absorption of court surface matters for children’s developing joints, especially given the pounding sustained in a full season.
Consider this. The shock absorption of concrete floors is 0%. This means that the full force of impact is absorbed by the athlete. The higher the shock absorption of the court surface, the more force that is absorbed by the ground — and not the joints of your athlete.
Since COVID began, many new training facilities have popped up around the province. Many of them decided to go with only a concrete floor with painted lines. Concrete has no shock absorption and will increase an athlete’s risk of knee and ankle sprains due to the extreme traction and cause shin splints and knee pain at an accelerated rate.
What court surface did we choose when building the Elite Training Centre in Toronto?
We chose a state-of-the-art hardwood floor from Westpoint Flooring. We are committed to the safety of our athletes – your athlete – as safety remains our #1 core value.
Elite Training Centre In Toronto
Most overnight camps use concrete or asphalt. Concrete and asphalt offer almost no shock absorption.
Ask the camp you are considering for your athlete what their outdoor and indoor court surfaces are made of. Also, ask them to send you a picture of their basketball court. Many cracks in the court are not safe for your athlete. Cracks allow weeds to grow and can cause ankle rolls.
What court surface did we choose when building Hoop Dreams Overnight Camp?
We chose a state-of-the-art Laykold surface by Bourassa Sport, that is used for world stage athletic events. Laykold provides over 17% force reduction.
Now that sport has returned to 100%, protect your athlete’s growing body, and make sure they are playing on a surface that has proper shock absorption.