Improving communities through sport

Sports Complexes for Extreme Sports

Skate park at a recreation center client of Sports Facilities Advisory

Capitalizing on the Extreme Sports Niche with Your Sports Complex

Adventure sports, whether parents like it or not, are here to stay. After growing rapidly in popularity during the late 90s and early 2000s, the fervor died down some in recent years, but all indicators point to skateboarding, snowboarding, BMXing, and wall climbing continuing on as strong niche sports. Due to the loyalty and communal aspects of these sports communities, a popular and well-executed sports complex can bring in a steady supply of profit for years.

Sports Complexes as Community Gathering Places

Like most niche communities, the separate communities of extreme sports athletes stick fiercely together. Sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, BMXing, and artificial wall climbing depend on individuality as much as teamwork. They focus on competitiveness as much as creative expression. This balance not only forms strong bonds within the niche sports community but also demands a different environment from those found at traditional sports complexes.
The skatepark, the slopes, and the climbing wall symbolize watering holes to these communities. Yes, athletes go there to ride and climb, but they also go there to spend time with like-minded individuals. If you spend much time at popular skate parks or snowboard parks or other extreme sports complexes, you will see a lot of people sitting around and talking, debating, and teaching. Sports complexes aren’t only places to practice your sport. They are places to create a shared culture.

How to Benefit from This Idea of the Gathering Place

Design

Create open spaces around the edge of the sports complex where people can stand out of the way of other riders. If your sports facility is an outdoor skatepark, consider including shade and benches in these areas. By providing riders with areas to spend time with their friends, you keep them at your extreme parks longer. You build positive associations with your sports complex that will keep these athletes coming back.

Amenities & Concessions

Like many sports complexes and professional or collegiate sports facilities, you should focus a lot on concessions. In 2013, the New York Yankees made more than $50 million dollars on concessions. Adding a bar, restaurant, and snacking area can keep athletes their longer. For outdoor parks, consider barbecue pits that athletes can rent.

We Perform Feasibility Studies for Sports Parks

No one can say for certain exactly how profitable an extreme sports complex would be in your area before doing the proper research. For targeted research in your area, contact Sports Facilities Advisory. We do it all, from providing feasibility studies to planning marketing strategies, and we want nothing more than to help you make your sports complex dream a reality.

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