by Taylor Kirchwehm
Photo courtesy of Sport Court
Summertime is the greatest time of year for you and your kids to spend countless hours playing outside. One of the best investments you can make for your family is a game court in your backyard. The kids will not only be safest in the comfort of your backyard, but you will know what they are doing. It also gets them off the couch and away from electronics and promotes healthy bodies and an active lifestyle. Whether you like shooting some hoops, tossing the baseball around, or smacking a tennis ball, the choice is yours with either a single sport or multi-sport game court.
Think about what sports you want the court to encompass. What is your family’s favorite sport? Is this just going to be a place for the kids to shoot the basketball around, or do you want a court large enough for the entire family to play? Once you’ve decided what sports you want to be able to play on the court it will be easier to gauge the size court you will need.
Photo courtesy of Sport Court
Space is a limiting factor when deciding upon what court you want. So go out to your backyard and measure the space you have to work with. If you want a court with a 3 point line you will need at least a 25x45 foot area. For net sports such as volleyball or tennis, a 30x60 foot area allows for full court volleyball. This gives you a guideline of the size space you will need.
When you’ve established how much space you have, check with your specific town to make sure they don’t have any specific regulations you must follow or they don’t require you to have a permit to build your dream court.
Nothing should be stopping you now from beginning to build your very own game court! Building a court is a big construction project to handle on your own but can be done if you’re on a small budget. You can always build in stages starting with a concrete platform and a basketball hoop and enjoy that for a year, and then next year add a sports tile surface and pretty landscaping.
If your property is relatively flat, this first phase of building will not be much work, but if not then more work will be required. First start by stripping all the sod away. The area where your court will sit will have to be leveled next if it’s not already a flat area. Use a plate compactor that can be rented from a local hardware store if you are taking on the construction by yourself. Courts can collect water especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain. Consider investing in a drainage system to eliminate water damage your court could incur.
Photo below courtesy of Sport Court
It’s time to choose the base of your court. Generally the base is built with concrete because it will not require maintenance every year. There are other options such as asphalt, compacted bases or modular bases. A compacted base is created by layering smaller and smaller stone and then compacting those stones. This type of base is not as permanent as concrete would be. The choice is yours, though.
If you’ve chosen concrete as a base you could just paint the surface and call it a sports court. However, more injuries are likely to occur this way, and if you have the budget to go ahead and make the court look nice and feel cushiony why not do it?
The most effective cushioned surface to put over the concrete would be a modular surface designed to absorb the shock your legs would normally receive, and this type of surface allows water to pass through and flow off the court. Most modular surfaces are also easy to assemble coming in pieces that snap together. They also come in fun colors to add some style to your sport court.
This is the fun phase of building when you get to add all the finishing touches to your court. So throw up the nets and put up the hoops and start playing. If you went with a full volleyball court, you could put a basketball hoop along the side of the court and use the hoop to hold up one side of the volleyball net. Get creative and make the most out of your sport court!
View This House Plan
Depending on the climate and weather you live in, an outdoor sport court might not be conducive to your area. Consider moving the activities inside to an indoor sport court.
Here are a few house plans with indoor sports courts:
House Plan 013S-0014
House Plan 055D-0745
House Plan 055S-0017
Whether you are enjoying your indoor or outdoor sport court, there is always good family fun and healthy living to be had within the confines of your home by investing in your own personal sport court!
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