Whether or not to include dasher boards in facilities offering turf-related sports is a hot topic in the sports and recreation industry. While domes and open-concept facilities are certainly popular, there are several benefits surrounding the inclusion of dasher boards. In fact, one of our customers in Hopkinsville, Kentucky recently made a last-minute switch from an open-concept to an indoor containment system in order to best accommodate the age groups they are serving. Not only did the switch accomplish this goal but it also allows other sports such as baseball, golf and archery to utilize the space as well.
If you’re on the fence about installing a dasher system in your soccer or multi-sport facility, consider the following:
- Demographics: Serving more players of different skill levels creates opportunities for kids and older adults who are not training for competition as well as for those who want to keep their skills sharp in the off-season.
- Player Development: Dasher boards in an indoor soccer facility keep the ball in play, resulting in more playing time, increased ball handling and greater skill development. Boards also offer players a skillful alternative when pressured by an opponent. A quick pass off the boards around an opponent is one of the more intelligent and skillful plays of the indoor game. Much like cross-ice programs in hockey, when young players have fun and get a lot of action, they are more likely to get hooked on the sport.
- Action: Playing with boards speeds up the game. Players and fans get exciting, end-to-end action. It works for hockey!
- Facility Growth and Management: Community centers are being built to provide multiple sports surfaces and services all under one roof. Soccer boards allow a large space to be broken up into sections, accommodating multiple sports at the same time without the interference of each other. Even a soccer-only facility can benefit for this same reason, allowing for two or more fields under one roof.
- Revenue Generation: Generating revenue is always top-of-mind for any facility. Facilities with soccer dasher boards provide a platform for sponsorship advertising space, resulting in the opportunity for additional revenue and support from the local community.
The bottom line is, of course, for the facility to consider what they need to do in order to reach their maximum potential while serving the community and providing the best experience for their customers. Becker Arena Products is known for serving the ice rink industry with our Signature Series hockey dasher boards. What some people don’t know is that we also build multi-purpose dasher boards for soccer, lacrosse and other recreational sports. The Infinity Series dasher board system provides an attractive, durable and versatile playing environment featuring a powder-coated steel frame and Ultracore™ panels and is available with options such as spectator shielding, soccer goals with retractable closure panels and ball-control netting.
