Enhancing Curbside Appeal for Outdoor Athletic Facilities
The impact of curb appeal is almost immeasurable. Yet, many school leaders never give it a thought. Most likely, it is because you may not understand what curbside appeal means and its importance to your school. Therefore, it would be prudent to take a closer look at curbside appeal to see how it can make a difference in your athletic program, as well as your school.
When parents and fans attend your athletic events, what kind of impression do they get of your program? Do they see a detail-oriented, well-organized program, or do they see something less? As the saying goes, "You only get one chance to make a first impression." Some might say that they have already missed the opportunity. That is not true. There is always another game or a new season. It does not matter when you begin. What does matter is that curbside appeal is addressed.
Each year, our nation's high schools play host to thousands of outside athletic contests. As parents and fans attend these events, they form impressions about the quality of management based on the care of athletic fields. These same parents and fans will perceive an attitude regarding the school's interest in providing quality athletic facilities for their students. It can also be argued that the school's academic program and administration will be perceived in the same manner.
Curbside appeal sends a powerful message to the community, and that message can either be positive or negative. When a positive message is conveyed, the administration is certainly proactive. It is obvious to those attending the event that the administration wants to provide quality facilities for the students to minimize risks and provide an enjoyable environment for participants and fans.
Where Does It Begin?
For all intents and purposes, curbside appeal begins the moment spectators begin arriving in the community on their way to the venue. This is when they will start forming opinions. Generally speaking, they are expecting to have a secure and enjoyable time. Taking the appropriate steps to promote a positive experience is important.
Every effort should be made to provide the safest and most enjoyable route, which capitalizes on the visible support for the school and athletic program. Oftentimes, visitors begin to formulate their initial impression based upon the visibility of banners, support messages and off-campus directional signage.
As fans proceed to the venue, their next impression will be determined by the quality and care of the perimeter landscaping. The landscaping adjacent to the facility must be free of debris, unsightly weeds, and overgrowth. The use of trees, colorful plants and shrubs, and mulch beds will greatly enhance visual appeal as fans approach the site. It is essential that
the ongoing maintenance schedule for perimeter landscaping includes a well-coordinated trash management program. This would include an adequate number of receptacles in key locations, such as the parking lots, main walkways, facility entrances, and other high-traffic areas.
For the most part, fans will drive to the venue, so their impressions will be further impacted by the time they arrive at the parking lot. When evaluating your parking lot, primary areas of consideration should include a well-designed pattern direction and flow. If a large crowd is anticipated, traffic control personnel should be employed and positioned at key locations to manage traffic flow.
Enhancing and Maintaining Venues
Let's take a look at some of the various entities within your athletic facility and how they affect curbside appeal.
1. Directional Signage
It is important that directional signage be uniform in design. This signage can be in many forms, but it should use a symbol of the school, mascot or nickname as the background image. Whatever the design, it should be a marketing tool that can be used not only for on-campus signage but egress and off-campus signage as well.
Typical signs for patrons include:
* School-specific rules at primary entrances
* Admissions pricing and re-entry policy adjacent to ticket-selling locations
* Designated home and visitor locations
* Restroom locations
* Concession stand locations
* Handicap accessibility
Signage needs can best be determined by conducting a walk-through assessment of the facility and asking yourself what signs would be most helpful if you were a first-time visitor. Directional signage helps show people that all aspects of their visit are important and helps defuse confusion and frustration.
2. Fencing
Most school use fencing to secure the facilities as well as crowd control. Fences need to be well maintained, or they can quickly become an eyesore. If there is an area of fence or wall that people try to climb, make adjustments to that area to prevent climbing. Keep gates in good repair and proper working order. When older chain-link fencing begins to show signs of rust, paint it with aluminum paint or with a color that fits your school's color scheme.
3. Ticket Booths
The ticket booth is a structure that is used only five or six times a season, but it is the one structure that most spectators will use each visit. Keep it freshly painted and clean. A messy ticket book sends a negative message to everyone. Make sure that your ticket booths have an adequate number of selling points/windows to expedite crowd movement.
4. Restrooms
Restrooms, like concession stands, need to be clean and in good repair. The school depends on the revenue from the concession stands to help support school activities. A messy concession stand will deter activity. Likewise, restrooms are important structures for the success of the activity. It has been proven that inadequate restrooms can have an adverse impact on attendance. It is imperative that restroom areas are maintained at the highest level of cleanliness. Likewise, the materials needed-such as soap, paper towels, and toilet paper-need to be monitored and re-supplied as needed during the event. Restrooms that are in top condition will be appreciated more than just about anything else you do.
5. Bleachers
All venues have some type of seating, and some are larger than others, due to the popularity of the sport. Some structures are metal and wood, while others are constructed of concrete or metal and aluminum. Due to weather and usage, these structures need to be inspected regularly. Wood walk boards can become rotten and break. Wooden seat boards can splinter, which could be injurious to fans. Painting wood bleacher boards can mask the rotting of the board, but it does nothing to make them safer. When inspected, they look good, but they could break when spectators walk on them, catching unsuspecting fans by surprise. Therefore, it is best not to paint outdoor wooden bleacher boards.
The conversion to aluminum would be a good investment over time and will minimize the risk of those attending your activities. At the same time, aluminum seating will greatly add to the appearance of your facilities and will be appreciated by your fans.
When improving your bleacher system, you must update to the new safety code for bleacher design. Also, handicap accessibility is required for new bleacher construction or renovation of existing outdoor seating.
6. Scoreboards
Scoreboards are viewed continuously and communicate not only the score, but time remaining, time outs, change of possession, down and distance, innings, and other pertinent information for each outdoor sport venue. An attractive and functional scoreboard with bulbs that work will not only help to keep the guests informed but will add to their enjoyment and to their perception of the quality of your facility.
Having a scoreboard that is in top working order and that looks good is a must. Another factor of curbside appeal concerning scoreboards is the scoreboard operator. Making sure your scoreboard operator not only knows how to operate the scoreboard but also has sufficient knowledge of the rules of the sport or event and when to start and stop the clock is equally important.
Additional enhancements to scoreboards include live video capability, multi-graphic capability, and backlit or rotating advertising panels. The size of your scoreboard also needs to be in balance with your stadium.
7. Field Enhancements
Never lose track of the fact that the primary reason your fans attend your events is for the competition. Their eyes will be primarily focused on the field. If you want your field to look sharp, then you'll need a sound operational plan. That plan encompasses accepted field management practices such as mowing, irrigation, fertilization, overseeding, aerification, top-dressing, and rolling.
And, when you get involved with the plan, your goal is to "wow" them. It could be as simple as mowing your field in alternating directions to get that "TV look." It could be stenciling numbers, having straight lines or your mascot on the field, and insuring all necessary equipment is located in its proper place.
It is difficult to measure the power of curbside appeal, but it is undeniably a major factor in forming positive or negative impressions. Use this power to send a message to your community that the administration wants to provide quality facilities for the students and an enjoyable environment for the participants and fans. Use this power to send the message to the community that the program is in good hands and is being managed well.
This article is courtesy of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), www.niaaa.org .
Sidebar
Sport Lighting: What Schools Need to Know
When installing a new lighting system-either interior or outdoor, temporary or permanent-there are some basic considerations to take into account to ensure the facility is up to par. A system that is cost efficient and environmentally friendly and provides the appropriate lighting for the level of play will prove to be the best value for both the school and program contributors.
Budget
Sports lighting budget considerations should include the capital cost, as well as the cost of operating, maintaining and staff time for management. Routine maintenance and unexpected repair costs can become significant if the lighting system is poorly designed from an electrical and structural standpoint. On the other hand, a system that is energy efficient and easy to operate and maintain can become part of the program's success story.
Electrical Consumption
Energy efficiency presents the largest opportunity for cost savings. Differences in system efficiencies and aiming design can vary, meaning one manufacturer may require fewer fixtures to achieve the same amount of light on the field. Over the life of the system, this saves money on electrical costs, in addition to saving on lamp replacement and other maintenance costs.
Efficient Management and Scheduling
As public concern for energy conservation grows, many organizations are implementing automated lighting control systems to turn their lights on and off. Control systems can be customized to manage locks and other auxiliary systems, which can achieve greater efficiency with staff and security. Look for a system that provides flexibility and allows varying levels of security.
Funding/Financing
Finding available funds is often the most challenging part of the buying process. There are options available that can make your lighting project doable, such as utility grants/rebates, performance contracting and financing programs. A sports lighting consultant can help identify an option that is right for the project.
Environment
Being environmentally friendly continues to be a growing issue for athletic field lighting. More and more cities, even states, are passing ordinances to control light pollution that escapes from outdoor lighting. Organizations such as the International Dark-Sky Association work to preserve and protect the nighttime environment through quality outdoor lighting.
Specifying good environmental light control will also reduce energy costs. Lighting a sports field involves projecting light over long distances, which traditionally has resulted in wasted light that ends up in neighbors' yards or the night sky. New light control technology redirects wasted spill light back onto the playing surface, increasing light on the field. This, in turn, reduces the electrical cost to operate and maintain the lighting system.
Enlist an Expert
There are more decisions than most people realize in planning a sports lighting project. Obviously, schools want their decisions to result in a trouble-free lighting system that will be a safe, energy-efficient source of pride, rather than a disappointing source of continuing high-maintenance headaches and neighborhood complaints.
A lighting certified design consultant can help evaluate the initial and long-term benefits to get the most value from the dollars spent. They can also help establish the performance criteria desired from the lighting system including on-field playability, environmental light control, reduced life-cycle cost, energy efficiency, and long-term guarantees.
For more than 30 years, Musco has specialized in the design and manufacture of athletic field lighting. Thousands of schools, cities and facility owners have counted on Musco as a part of their team to make lighting happen for the safety and enjoyment of their participants, while providing the most value for their sports lighting budget.
