Flooding and extreme heat or cold together with unseasonably mild spells are playing havoc with our outdoor activity planning and sports grounds.
Summer 2025 has seen cricket matches cancelled because of rock hard pitches; football academy applicants having trials at 5am to avoid the heatwave; and surface water flooding turning tennis courts into swimming pools.
It’s time to save your sports with appropriate surfacing and shelter.
Read on for some suggestions and solutions from our Sportsafe specialists to make you pitch perfect all year round.
It is during the early developmental and primary years that attitudes to exercise and habits are established. Children who are helped and supported to enjoy healthy outdoor activities tend to keep up this interest, to the benefit of their mental, emotional, physical and academic wellbeing throughout their lives.
The simplest things are often the best and an all-weather Daily Mile Track is exactly that. No need to worry about mud, sploshing and slipping – your Early Years children and primary pupils can safely continue their walks and runs outside on your Daily Mile Track, whatever the weather. This simple installation encourages socialising, independent exercise, individual progress, fun and all the health benefits of being outside throughout the year.
Like the Daily Mile Track, a touch of artificial grass could allow you to access everything anytime you wish. For example, artificial grass surrounding a Trim Trail means your pupils just need a raincoat when it’s raining and they can continue to improve their balance and adventure skills throughout the winter without the dangers of slipping and sliding and getting dirty. Equally, artificial grass is way more comfortable to land on than parched, baked ground in the hot summer months and its pleasant appearance keeps your play areas looking inviting all year.
With a professional artificial grass installation, it doesn’t matter if your sports area has good or bad drainage; clay or sand soil – artificial grass takes the rough with the smooth and gives the right surface for the game, all year round. It’s up to you where you want it as it can be installed to suit whatever shape or space you have and it has the stamina and durability to stay safe and looking good for years and years. Why on earth would you keep mud and rock when you can have an optimal playing surface all year, every year?
This is such a simple yet massively effective way to keep your sports and play area natural but protected. These heavy-duty, rubber, holed mats link together to form a surface that keeps root systems safe whilst allowing the blades of grass to flourish and grow as usual. This means that you get the look, feel and authenticity of real grass but the rubber matrix gives a softer landing, allows for smooth wheelchair access, stops the mud and reduces the slip risk. This is the ultimate activity surface combination of a man-made device working in harmony with nature.
This colourful and inviting surface is a godsend for keeping multiple sports and activities going whatever the weather. Ideal for team sports such as Basketball and Netball, the intensity of Tennis, and the power needed on an athletics track. A polymeric surface gives:
- excellent non-slip grip
- flexibility and comfort
- efficient water drainage
- budget-friendly durability.
Your athletes no longer have to worry about flooding, slipping or falling on this EPDM rubber crumb particle composition, mixed with a binder and poured out onto a macadam base.
Professional installation also means that you get to choose the colours and markings to match every sport you require, plus enhance the appearance and branding of your facilities.
Wetpour Rubber and Bonded Rubber Mulch
Although this gives a finished appearance similar to tarmac, wetpour rubber is a far more forgiving and much safer surface, especially for playgrounds. Black or coloured rubber granules are mixed with a specialist binder to create a tough yet comforting and tactile surface that can be enhanced by all sorts of designs and markings to invite activity, play and fun. This very traditional and proven choice also appeals because of its low maintenance and durability.
This type of surfacing remains a popular choice which cleverly combines the traditional look with contemporary benefits. Suitable for Tennis, Netball and Basketball courts as well as Multi-Use Games Areas, macadam surfacing provides a strong base and ball energy. This can add to the speed of play, making matches excitingly dynamic for both players and spectators. Whatever your player preferences or needs, the surface can be composed specifically to suit your bespoke requirements. What is more, the adaptability of composition is supported by an open-textured porosity enabling fast and thorough water drainage. No more ‘rain stopped play’!
The surfaces described above offer you the chance to make your sports, activity and play spaces accessible all year, every year but you still need to think about the power of the sun and the drench of the rain. Your surfaces might cope with anything but your players and spectators may be more reluctant to weather the storm or bake in the heat. Whilst actually playing, most athletes focus on the game not the weather but they need some respite inbetween games.
Therefore, time to support your superb surface installations with some simple but effective shelter techniques.
Canopies and sail shades, with their reinforced webbing and interlocking stitching, are unobtrusive and attractive but deceptively sturdy and effective. Keeping your spectators in the shade will add to their comfort and enthusiasm to cheer on the athletes, whilst also giving welcome respite on long sports days.
For more permanent protection against rain and wind, there is a whole range of sustainably sourced, beautifully crafted, solid outbuildings and shelters that can be designed and installed to meet your exact requitements.
Thankfully, the Sportsafe sales, design and engineering teams have years of experience and expertise to help you to find the perfect surface and shelter solutions. We would love to hear from you!
