Planning and Designing a Strength and Conditioning Facility

1. 2 4 C H A P T E R Facility Layout and Scheduling

2. Chapter Outline General aspects of new facility design Existing strength and conditioning facilities Assessing athletic program needs Designing the strength and conditioning facility Arranging equipment in the strength and conditioning facility Scheduling the strength and conditioning facility

3.  Forming a committee of professionals is the first step in planning and designing a new strength and conditioning facility. The committee can consist of an administrator, architect, contractor, lawyer, student athlete, sport coach, instructors who will use the facility, and various sport-conditioning experts.

4. Planning and Designing of Facility Predesign phase requires 25% of the total project time (about 6 months). Design phase requires 12% of total project time (about 3 months). Construction phase requires 50% of total project time (about 12 months). Preoperation (start-up) phase requires 15% of total project time (about 3-4 months).

5.  The strength and conditioning professional should assess existing equipment based on the needs of all athletes and teams that use the facility.

6. Assessing Athletic Program Needs How many athletes will use the facility? What types of strength and conditioning training does each athletic group require? What are the age groups of the athletes using the facility? What is the training experience of the athletes using the facility? When will strength training fit into each athletic team’s schedule? What repairs and adaptations to equipment must be made to meet athletes’ needs?

7. Designing the Strength and Conditioning Facility Location Supervision location Access Ceiling height Flooring Environmental factors Electrical service Mirrors

8.  Safety and function are top priorities when determining equipment placement.

9. Methods for Organizing the Facility Creating strength training areas that emphasize different body parts. Creating training areas according to types of equipment. This is the preferred method for functionality and appearance.

10. Considerations in Scheduling the Strength and Conditioning Facility Seasonal priority and peak hours Group size and equipment availability Staff-to-athlete ratio

11. Example of High School Facility Floor Plan

12. Problem Floor Plan

13. Solution to Problem Floor Plan