How Do I Start a Sports Facility?

Learning how to start an indoor sports facility enables you to serve your community and create a thriving business opportunity. This guide will walk you through the process and help you build the best sports complex for your needs.

Determine Your Goals

Knowing how to open a sports complex begins with determining your goals. In doing so, there is more to consider than simply being successful. Is your goal to serve your immediate community or to be an appealing destination for visitors who are farther away? Will you cater to the needs of young athletes, adults or a mix? Do you hope to create a sports facility for one particular sport, or will you expand to include different fields and courts?

You should also do in-depth marketing research to create realistic goals that will grant you the success you are seeking for your sports facility. Hone in on these specific aspects of your market research:

• Analyze competitors: Look locally to see what sports facilities near you are doing to find success as well as areas where they could improve. Though local competitors should be a focus, make sure you go beyond that and see what sports facilities around the country, especially ones in areas like yours, are doing. 
• Make a list: As you analyze various competitors, make a list of their specific strengths and weaknesses. Make special note of your competitor’s weaknesses that you consider one of your strengths. 
• Think creatively: Think about ways your sports facility could enter the market and fill a unique need that none of your competitors have covered. Use your list of competitor weaknesses to help you come up with this. Look for themes and patterns in your lists to spark your creativity.

When planning your goals, don’t just focus on the short term. Be realistic, but expect to be successful and plan wisely for a long future. Otherwise, when your business launches and grows quickly, you will find yourself ill-prepared for the fast changes.

Choose Your Location

Sports complexes thrive in communities, so it is essential to carefully consider the location you are opening your sports complex in. Do demographic research to understand if the area is one that fits your target audience. Demographic research is still just as important if you don’t have a target audience.

For example, if your community has a lot of toddlers and young children, cater to both the child and parent. Find a way to make sure both have a positive experience while the child gets adequate and safe exercise. If your community has a large elderly population, consider providing recreational activities suited to them. If your town is a town of baseball fans, maybe having a batting cage would draw interest to your complex. 

Each demographic has unique fitness needs, and each community is different, so it is important to take the time to figure out how you could best serve your community.

You’ll also need to think about the details of your location itself. Is it visible from a main road, or will you need to invest in signs and advertising to lead visitors to you? Make sure there is adequate room for parking, sports fields and future expansion, as well.

Determine Your Layout and Structure

As you consider the layout and structure of your sports facility, you should decide what equipment you will be filling your space with. There is a variety of sports equipment you could include in your complex:

• Turf: Your facility could have an area of turf to play soccer, football, ultimate frisbee or other field sports on. You could also choose to include a smaller area of turf for individuals to train on if you don’t have the space for a full field.
• Weights: Weights and other fitness equipment will draw the average person to your facility rather than solely athletes. 
• Desks and furniture: You will likely want to have a front desk space and maybe some other furniture for people who are waiting. If your space is meant for children, consider the kind of seating area you want to create for parents. 
• Courts: Decide if you want courts of some sort. Courts do not need to be sport-specific, as long as you also invest in the different types of nets and balls you need for several different sports.

When you have decided what types of equipment you want for your sports facility, create some concepts of different ways to lay out your space. Especially if you are on a tight budget, workshop the layout until the space is being used as practically and efficiently as possible.

Benefits of Fabric Structures for Sports Facilities

A fabric structure will make your sports facility a more appealing option to your community. It’s often a more cost-effective option for your facility, as well. Here are some specific advantages that fabric buildings provide:

1. Variety of Uses

A fabric building may host soccer games or volleyball tournaments. But its flexibility allows it to be easily transformed to fill a number of other needs during the sport’s offseason or simply between games. For example, if you want to host a conference in your space that usually accommodates volleyball games, taking down the nets and laying a floor over the courts would quickly and easily make the change you are looking for.

2. Operational Efficiency

Building a fabric structure comes with an efficient timeline. On top of that, after construction, it requires minimal maintenance and features low operational costs. Depending on the climate and time of year you are in, you may not need to use much air or heat. These buildings also let in a lot of natural light, which lowers the cost of lighting.

3. Aesthetic

Fabric buildings provide a unique look that fits the aesthetic of a sporting environment well. This is especially useful if you intend to use the space for more than sporting events. The buildings are customizable so you can optimize the space you are working with.

4. Visitor Comfort

More than knowing how to start a sports complex, you also need to know how to make it appealing and successful. A covered sports area lets visitors practice or play in different weather conditions. They’ll appreciate that your tennis facilities, football fields and other areas are covered to keep them out of the sun.

Get a Quote From Calhoun Super Structure

Now that you know how to start an indoor sports complex, Calhoun Super Structure can help you get the fabric building that will fulfill your goals. We offer a variety of building options built to adapt to your exact specifications through a proprietary engineering process. Our 3D Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis provides you with a site-specific evaluation so you get a fabric structure that meets the needs of your sports facility’s unique location.

Contact us today to get your free quote and learn how Calhoun Super Structure can help you.