The Court Company Blog

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2010-03-12T11:53:00.001-06:00

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How to make your court system multi-functional

2010-02-11T18:25:00.003-06:00

Whether you are working on building a racquetball or squash court for your own personal use or if you are working on a court installation to be played on by groups of people, it is in your best interest to look at making the court as multi-functional as possible. If you are spending the money on a court system and dedicating a large space for a racquetball or squash court, why not get the most out of your investment.

To make a court multi-functional, you have different options to evaluate. The most common accessory to use to "transform" the court is with a wallyball kit. Wallyball is like playing volleyball but with the use of the impact walls and ceiling. It's an easy and inexpensive option to include in a court to incorporate another game for play.

Another common option is to incorporate basketball into the court. Up until recently, the only options were wall and ceiling mounted assemblies that were either stationary or folding units. Wall mounted options aren't the best option since they protrude into the court and interefered with play. The ceiling mounted option is nice because the basketball assembly can be customized to your requirements to fold up to the ceiling but it can still interfere with play. The Auto Hoop is the newest option for basketball installed at the wall while keeping the goal hidden during play. You can view a video of this disappearing assembly at http://www.racquetballcourts.com/auto_hoop.html.

If you're trying to incorporate both racquetball and squash into a single court then you should consider a moveable glass rear wall. The moveable rear wall is used to temporarily convert a racquetball court to a squash court. Even though the moveable rear wall isn't an inexpensive option, it is a nice option that is cheaper and conserves on space by building only one court for both games in lieu of two separate courts. You can view a video of an example of the moveable rear wall at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y2j0ZDM1N4.

These suggestions mentioned above are only that - suggestions. We've had other projects incorporate tennis, badminton and golf as a few examples of other sports to play in the court. If you find that you have another sport or idea to use in the court, incorporating that into the court design shouldn't be a problem at all....just let us know and we'll do what we can to make it happen.

I want to build a new court...now what?

2010-01-20T16:12:00.003-06:00

Ok, so you've decided that you want to build a racquetball or a squash court. Great...that's what we like to hear! Whether the installation is taking place in a residential or commerical project, the criteria to ensure a quality court installation is the same. The goal of a company like The Court Company is not just to sell you a unique product but also to walk you thru the different stages of the project from design to construction.

Some people are initially intimidated by a court because it's a different type of room, but look at it as a big box with a door. Yes, it's a much bigger "box" than a typical room but the process is made easy by using prefinished wall materials and not having to recreate the wheel in deciding what materials to use....we've already done that for you. So, as you start to envision your project, first outline the space to be used for the court and we'll walk you thru the rest.

Our intent is to help you build a court system as close to regulation size as possible. When working on the design of your court, contact us or visit our website to find out what the space requirements and minimum rough openings are for the court. Once you have that figured into the building design, the rest is fairly easy.

So, what do you need to consider when designing a court system? Let me outline a few questions that help us help you:

• How many courts do you want for the project? Obviously, if this is for a residential project, you'll have one court but if this is a public facility, you'll probably want to consider at least two courts.

• If you're building squash courts, do you want the courts to be certified and approved by the World Squash Federation (WSF)? Most squash courts that we install are WSF certified and approved.

• What size glass walls (or windows) do you want to include? Most squash courts use 7'0" high glass walls; racquetball courts use glass of different sizes. With glass, we can provide just about any size. Since the price is based on the size, deciding on this enables us to put together a proposal more accurate to your project.

• Do you want us to handle the court installation turn-key or are other trades providing some of the court materials?

These are just a few questions for you to consider when working on preliminary information for court construction. With a little feedback from you about your project then we can provide additional information and pricing to help get the ball rolling. So, if you need our assistance with information or reviewing plans for your project, please do not hestiate to let us know.

Greetings in 2010

2010-01-06T17:54:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the beginning of a new year - a year that we hope is filled with new opportunities for all. The construction and athletic industries seem to be on the tail end of this recession so it's possible that this could be a rollercoaster of a year. Our industry could definitely slow down, but so far though, with only a few working days into the new year, we're staying very busy.

We finished 2009 with numerous projects completed and "under our belt" to include installations at several colleges and universities across the country such as Rice University in Texas; military installations such as Camp Pendleton; many residential and fitness facility projects scattered across the United States and several projects in other countries. It's amazing to think that we are still going strong after 32+ years of this being our forté.

Going into 2010, we have many projects awaiting our arrival to include YMCAs, more residential work, athletic and recreation centers as well as corporate headquarters and more college and university work. We hope with the launch the end of last year of AthleticRoom.com as well as the release of a new product, Auto Hoop, that this new year will continue to be as productive as last year. We feel very confident about our position in the marketplace and our ability to continue with our success.

We hope that you will stay in touch and will continue to contact us should we be able to offer any assistance with your upcoming project. If you don't have a new project on the horizon, feel free to check back wih us every once in awhile to see what might be happening with The Court Company. Thank you for your continued consideration of our company and we hope you have a prosperous year.

It's been one heck of a year

2009-12-10T19:43:00.007-06:00

Looking forward to 2010

With the year winding down, as you can imagine, everybody is writing about what's happened this past year - the highs and the lows and the old and the new. Each year seems to fly by with us all wondering what really happened over the last 12 months. Pondering this now is no different than in previous years.

This year proved to us that people are still building racquetball and squash courts more than ever. Though we've seen fewer mega facilities sporting 10+ court systems, we're still experiencing great demand in an expanding sport. The facilities today are still building courts but are now focusing on how to properly market and program racquetball and squash in their building vs. just being the next giant facility.

As with most businesses, seeing how the economy affects our industry is one that we're waiting to see unfold. We anticipate some non-contracted projects to be put on hold or cancelled but we also anticipate seeing the private court sector to continue to increase as we're witnessing now. I know that sounds ironic but the residential market with court construction is still going strong.

As we continue to look back on 2009, we can honestly say that the last 12 months have been good. Court construction continues to be good and the visibility of our company continues to increase. This past year, we enhanced our relationships with owners and architects at trade shows, we created a nice marketing folder, we updated our website which enabled you to network with us via cyberspace, we introduced a new basketball product that will change the way that people build courts, and we continued to work with some great contractors/architects/owners on several projects across the United States and abroad.

So, as we move into 2010, we'll continue to work hard in providing quality court systems and attentive customer service while looking forward to celebrating over 34 years of success in this specialized industry.

Thank you for your continued support and we wish you much success in the new year.

We love our new basketball product!

2009-11-30T11:40:00.005-06:00

As you will see from our website, we have a great basketball product - the Auto Hoop. This is one of those products that you sit back and think "Geez....why didn't I think of that?" In the world of racquetball and squash court construction, it's not often that you come across a new product in an industry that doesn't change much. I am not trying to put down our industry but it's not often that we come across or are able to introduce a new product that will change how people design their courts. For us, the Auto Hoop just happens to be one of those cool products that we're excited about.

As you will see in the video on our website, the Auto Hoop is a retractable basketball backboard that hides behind the wall of the court. When you want to play basketball, you simply press a button and presto...a door folds down and the goal emerges. This is great for any type of court application, but is especially ideal for a racquetball or squash court where the walls need to remain flush for play. It doesn't matter if the court is a residential court or used in a more public setting, it's a great way to make the court multi-purpose without affecting the racquetball or squash players.

Some existing projects are evaluating how to integrate this into their existing court. This might be a little more of a challenge since space behind the walls is required but it is doable. The projects that will benefit from this the most are those that are still in the design stage since they can incorporate the storage space behind the court as part of their plans. No matter what phase of the project you are in, this is definitely one of those products that I foresee every court wanting to consider...it's just that cool!

I'm certainly not hear to try to toot our own horn, but this is a good product. Check out the latest issue of Athletic Business magazine for the press release outlining the Auto Hoop:
AB%20Auto%20Hoop%20Press%20Release.pdf.

What Makes a Good Court Company?

2009-11-12T12:29:00.004-06:00

I know there may not be too many people out there who stay awake at night wondering what makes a good court company. Heck, I'm sure that many people reading this blog or visiting our website may only require a racquetball or squash court or an athletic room only once. Since it's a lot of money to invest and it is potentially a "one shot" purchase, why not go with the best company out there.

I may be a little biased regarding who you should work with, but building this type of court system is not cheap so the decision should not be taken without some thought. So, what do you need to consider when selecting somebody to work with regarding your next court construction project? Let me give you some things to think about:

How long has the company been in business? The typical warranty on a prefinished wood panel system is 10 years so make sure to work with a company who has been around longer than their warranty and who works in this industry; afterall, how can a "short lived" company stand behind a warranty older than their company?
How long have the installers been in the industry and working for the same company? In construction, I'm sure that you understand how unusual is it to find a company who still has the same installers working with them after 20 years. Hmmm...sounds like the company who is posting this blog.
Do the representatives of the company quickly address your questions and provide the required information? A "one man shop" may not have the ability to handle all the requirements of your project to include bidding, submittals, project management, accounting, etc. The Court Company has the largest group of representatives solely focused on racquetball and squash courts. These types of court systems are our forté and we do not focus on other businesses that might stear us away from your project. So, you have our full attention.

Ultimately, it's up to you who you want to work with and how you want to spend your money so why not consider spending it wisely. Make sure to work with a company who has your best needs in mind and who can stand behind what they say. The old rule of "you get what you pay for" applies in our industry, too. It's great to learn from mistakes but selecting a good qualified company no matter what your product requirement is a mistake you don't have to make.

Something that I read one time rings so true...."keep in mind that quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten!" We're here to help provide you with that quality.

(Remember to visit with us at the upcoming Athletic Business Conference in Orlando, Florida December 3 and 4. For more information or for a free trade show pass, contact erika@racquetballcourts.com.)

Interested in a Courtside Seat?

2009-10-29T14:07:00.002-05:00

We have your courtside "seat" at the upcoming Athletic Business Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida December 3-4, 2009. This is a great opportunity to visit with us at our booth to discuss our racquetball and squash court products with you in more detail.

In addition to our court systems, you can also to talk to us about our one of a kind Auto Hoop basketball system. Auto Hoop is a unique disappearing basketball assembly that can temporarily transform any type of indoor athletic court or room into your own courtside seat for basketball. It's a cool way to make your space multi-functional at the push of a button.

So what are you waiting for? Contact Erika Milligan (erika@racquetballcourts.com) today for your free trade show pass. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando and making you another fan of The Court Company.

US Open Racquetball Championships

2009-10-09T11:00:00.004-05:00

The US Open Racquetball Championships are fast approaching once again. This is the 14th year of the championships that are being held October 21-25, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Did you know that The Court Company built the first portable court that was used at the tournament? The Court Company took their years of experience in court construction to help build a system that USA Racquetball used for this Memphis tournament.

Building this type of portable court is simply one example of how The Court Company works to customize your project whether it's for a court to be used in a tournament or a court for personal use. Players from around the world have played on The Court Company's portable court as well as permanent courts installed in countries througout the world.

If you're going to be in Memphis for the US Open, make sure to visit Randy Stafford at the History Booth to learn a little more about the history of this fast-paced sport as well as how the game, the equipment, and the products have improved over the years. The Court Company is proud to be a part of the history of this great tournament!

What's all the racquet about?

2009-09-17T18:02:00.005-05:00

The Court Company recently redesigned its website in order to communicate better with you about our company and our products. Not only is our company and information more accessible with some of the social networking options such as Facebook and Twitter but we've also updated the information so that you can learn more about our current and new products as well as what it takes to build a first class racquetball or squash court.

We've always tried to remain the best in our industry and the changes to our website along with the way that you can interact with us are only a few examples of what we're doing to help you - our clients. We hope that you enjoy the new changes that you see.

We invite you to forward any positive feedback about our products or our working relationship with you. We are also open to receiving any pictures and/or updates of your current projects that you want to share.

www.racquetballcourts.com
www.squashcourts.com