Whether you’re rooting for the pros or your own kid out on the basketball court, you don’t want to see your favorite player get hurt. While you may be primarily concerned with the rough and tumble nature of the game, one very important factor in the athletes’ safety is what’s under their feet: sports flooring. That’s why facility owners know to invest in quality synthetic flooring.
The quality of the flooring can have a huge impact on injury rates — this was also concluded by the American Academy of Podiatric Sport Medicine (AAPSM). They wrote: “Different playing surfaces can also have an effect on injuries. Indoor wood courts offer the most shock absorption and are considered the safest courts, while outdoor courts of asphalt are more dangerous.”
How Does Synthetic Flooring Prevent Injury?
While it’s true that flooring cannot prevent ALL injury from occurring, it can certainly reduce the likelihood. Some injuries that occur on the court like landing wrong from a jump, accidentally falling, or running into another player can happen regardless of the type of flooring in place.
But even though an accidental fall can occur on any type of surface, quality synthetic flooring has better grip, giving athletes better traction and making those falls less likely to occur. Different flooring has different levels of friction, so you’ll need to choose according to what sports are played at your facility. Ideally, your flooring will allow for easy and safe movement in all directions. However, what’s needed in basketball may be different from, let’s say, a weight room.
Great For All Ages
Other injuries that occur under the radar from chronic use are the ones where flooring can make a huge difference in the long-term. Why? Because synthetic flooring is much easier on the joints. Basketball players are constantly running, pivoting and jumping for hours each day as they train and play in games. This puts a constant strain on joints as well as ligaments in the feet, knees, and ankles. Quality synthetic flooring will have an immediate and noticeable impact on older players and will protect the younger players who are still developing.
In order to make sure you’re choosing the best flooring for the athletes who will train and play in your facility, get the help of a flooring professional who can guide you through the best options according to use case, as well as price.
