From tennis courts and pickleball facilities to sports fields and running tracks, the American Sports Builders Association is recognizing the best of the best, and has announced the winners of its annual awards. Awards are presented each year to facilities built by ASBA members, which best exemplify construction excellence.
Awards are presented in various categories: Tennis Courts, Running Tracks, Sports Fields, Pickleball Facilities, Multi-Purpose Facilities and Track & Field Facilities. Within some categories, there are divisions; for example, the Sports Field category recognizes single- and multiple-field facilities.
Winners were announced at the Association’s 2023 Technical Meeting, Dec. 1 to 4 in Houston. The meeting served as a testament to ASBA’s growing membership, as well as its reach in the industry, having a record-breaking attendance of 1,100 individuals, an increase of more than 30% over any of the association’s meetings to date.
“We are proud of the work done by all members of ASBA but this year’s award-winning projects showcase true excellence,” said David Clapp, CTCB, chairman of the association. “They are not only designed and constructed to exacting standards, as well as being aesthetically beautiful, but they provide an excellent playing experience for the athletes who use them and the spectators who come to watch them.”
Projects are scored individually based on considerations such as layout and design, site work, drainage, base construction, surface, amenities, innovation and overall impression. Winning entries are those whose cumulative scores met or exceeded the standard.
Under the Sports Fields category, Distinguished Single Field Facilities include Atwood Stadium at Fryeburg Academy in Fryeburg, Maine; Chabot College Baseball Field in Hayward, Calif.; Cincinnati Country Day School Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio; East Lansing High School Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.; Ellis Oval at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.; Flagler College Lacrosse & Intramurals Facility in St. Augustine, Fla.; Fort Payne High School Baseball Field in Fort Payne, Ala.; Fort Payne High School in Fort Payne, Ala.; Seaside High School Stadium in Seaside, Calif.; Seekonk High School in Seekonk, Mass.; Sparta High School: Sparta Memorial Field in Sparta, Wis.; Topaz Park: Finlayson Field in Victoria, BC, Canada; Town of Arlington: Hurd Field in Arlington, Mass.; and University of Tampa Baseball Field in Tampa, Fla.
Under the Sports Field category, Distinguished Multi-Field Facilities include: Boston Parks Department: Smith Playground Ballfields in Boston; BB&N Grove Street Athletic Campus in Watertown, Mass.; Cleveland Browns Training Facility at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio; Colby College in Waterville, Maine; Franklin High School in Stockton, Calif.; Iowa State University Football Practice Field: Johnny Majors Field in Ames, Iowa; Norton High School in Norton, Mass.; Riverton Athletic Complex in Riverton, Ill.; Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D.; Washington University Baseball & Softball Facility in St. Louis; Webster Thomas High School in Webster, N.Y.; and West Ottawa High School Stadium in Holland, Mich.
In the Court Facilities category, Distinguished Outdoor Pickleball Facilities include: City Walk Park in Birmingham, Ala.; Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton, Fla.; Bill Noble Park in Gardendale, Ala.; Pictona at Holly Hill in Holly Hill, Fla.; and Verdana Village in Estero, Fla.
In the Court Facilities category, Distinguished Outdoor Tennis Facilities include: The Eren Family Tennis Center at Rumsey Hall School in Washington Depot, Conn.; Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn.; IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.; Pingree School in Hamilton, Mass.; Sparta Public Schools High School Tennis Courts in Sparta, Mich.; Verdana Village in Estero, Fla.; and Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass.
Under the Running Tracks category, Outstanding Outdoor Running Tracks include: Sun Prairie Wet High School in Sun Prairie, Wis.; and River Valley High School in Spring Green Wis. And the Distinguished Track & Field Facility was Norton High School in Norton, Mass.
Under the Multi-Purpose Facility category, the Distinguished Courts & Recreation Multi-Purpose Fitness and Wellness Facility was the Manasquan High School Multi-Purpose Facility in Manasquan, N.J.; and the Outstanding Courts & Recreation Multipurpose Fieldhouse was Future Legends in Windsor, Colo.