The importance of spectator seating on your sports ground

Whether you are looking to upgrade or build a brand new sports ground at your school, park or community, an essential part of your planning involves where you would like to incorporate seating at your ground and the type of seating that would suit best. Getting this right plays an important role in helping you achieve the perfect sports ground venue! We take a look at some of the important aspects to consider when planning your sports ground and how spectator seating can help make your sports facility a success.

Purpose

The first thing is to clearly identify and understand the full purpose of the sports ground. What will it be used for? It is primarily for one sport and one target audience, such as a sole usage baseball field or will it be used by multiple groups and as multi-purpose facility for a range of different activities. Are there regulations regarding sizing and surface for these activities that must be taken into consideration at the very start of the design? What surfaces are available to consider and what is the initial cost and the cost over time to maintain such a surface?

Resourcing

When planning a new sports ground, what resources including people, budget, marketing and time do you have available to manage the sports ground build and its ongoing maintenance? It is vital to ensure all aspects of upkeep and utilisation are outlined to ensure it is well-maintained and well-utilised. There are a number of grants available, see our blog on top tips for applying for a grant to find out more.

Usage

What degree of usage can you expect in your sports area? Will it be used daily for many hours and different participants throughout winter and summer? Or will it have recovery time in between heavy usage. Is it for training primarily or is it your major venue for teams rival games. Documenting how your sports ground will be used in the upcoming months and years will dictate what surface, size and seating requirements will be optimal.

Inclusiveness

How can you ensure your sports ground is accessible to everyone? Things to consider revolve around access to the field, changing rooms and seating ensuring wheelchair provisions and using colour appropriately to assist visually impaired athletes and spectators.

Accessibility

Is there adequate public transport to your facility? What kind of parking facilities are existing and what would be required if the sports ground is being used at capacity? Are there bike racks available to encourage other forms of transport? Taking into account how participants and spectators can get to your new ground is very important to its success.

Spectator seating

The type of seating required for a sports ground will be dictated by the intended nature of the sports ground. Training grounds for example may typically benefit from above-ground or inground, or free stacking bench seating depending on whether the facility is publicly accessible or privately owned. For public facilities inground or bolted down bench seating with or without backrests are popular choices. For private grounds, a combination of free standing stackable benches that can be easily moved to accommodate the particular sports session and park settings are good alternatives.

If the sports ground is to hold regular sports matches and events, spectator seating and grandstands are a must have. Grandstands like benches come in a variety of sizes and styles from 9m Deluxe Grandstands which seat up to 100 people, to Sun Select shelters which come with shaded shelters to ensure spectators can enjoy the game regardless of the weather. The intended capacity of the sports ground will strongly influence the choice of spectator seating.

Our range includes the standard grandstand seating that you see at ovals all around Australia, through to portable solutions, ideal for putting up temporary seating, wall-mounted seating for indoor settings, and covered seating, to help keep the sun off the crowd.

All our grandstands are built to provide superior sightlines, comfort, durability and safety with our grandstands featuring 20% more aluminium typically. Our aluminium grandstand seating is used at indoor and outdoor venues, schools, sportsgrounds and entertainment attractions throughout Australia.

We are happy to provide expert advice and recommendations on potential spectator seating options at your sports ground. So get in touch today on 1 800 834 016 and find out how choosing the right seating options can help develop your sports ground into the go-to venue.