Do you need help with the design of a centre?This is a good source of information for anyone trying to establish a centre for competition, coaching and social use.The aim is to design a modern table tennis centre.If you want to know how to do this, read on.
Step 1: Design for lighting levels and ceiling heights.
For the venue to be suitable for state tournaments and national competition, the minimum light intensity over the whole of the playing surface (measured at the table surface height) and the clear height from the floor to the light should be as follows:The ceiling height is not the same as the 5m height.There should be uniform lighting levels throughout the venue.The light intensity must be uniformly over the playing surface and at least 400 lux elsewhere in the court.International competition lighting levels are higher and need to be met for live streaming.It is recommended that lighting be used to reduce costs.Running costs can be reduced by only having lighting at tables in use as this will allow the lights above the table to be controlled individually.
Step 2: Correct type of flooring is important.
A good floor is important.It's important that the flooring is non-slip because players have to be able to move quickly.Dust that causes slipping can be mitigated by floor cleaning.To avoid tripping or damaging the floor surface, players need to wear suitable foot ware.The floor should be level and able to support the weight of the table tennis.Solid concrete and carpeted floors are not suitable for competition.The players and spectators will benefit from a good visual contrast between the ball, table top surface, and the surrounding areas.It is a good idea to pick a flooring that is not reflective.All modern table tennis venues now have sports flooring on top of the wooden floor.The floor covering has a foam backing.It results in less stress on muscles and joints.The textured surface gives better grip and reduces the chance of accidents.International specification requires a dark colour.There are no tripping hazards because the flooring is welded together.Search for "best flooring for table tennis" in your search engine to find out more about this type of surface.If the venue has additional areas for other sports, then the floor surfaces on all areas should be the same height.When these areas are needed for Tournaments, there should be double doors between them to allow the movement of equipment on trolleys.
Step 3: Good wall colors.
Players need a good visual contrast between the ball, floor, table, and walls.Choose a wall colour that is non-reflective and painted with a dark colour up to a height of at least 2.5m.The walls should be painted a lighter colour for maximum benefit.If there are any windows or other external light sources, there needs to be a way to completely blank them out so that the light doesn't leak through.To reduce the chance of player injury, hard areas around courts need to be padded.When courts are in use, exterior doors must be light shielded or light trapped so they don't interfere with play.
Step 4: You need good heating and air conditioning.
The temperature and humidity of the building are important.The ideal room temperature is 18C with a relative humidity of 40%.It's important that the floor is well-ventilated because condensation will make it slippery and dangerous.The table surface is likely to be damaged by condensation and cannot be used during play.Spectators' comfort should also be considered.If there are air conditioning units, make sure they don't cause air currents that will affect the flight of the ball.This problem can be avoided by using floor ventilating.Whirly Gigs should be fitted with baffles that can be controlled to control air flow at different times of the year.It is encouraged to use passive systems to reduce costs and problems.The efficiency of active temperature control systems is aided by insulation.The playing and social areas should have temperature and humidity sensors.Sports Medicine Australia and the Table Tennis National Heat Policy guidelines should be monitored.
Step 5: There are toilets and changing rooms.
This is an important item that needs to cater to both players and the public.The venue should cater for maximum participant attendance in the toilets and changing rooms.The hire of portable toilets may not be feasible or even desirable as the tournament numbers will be much larger, so toilet facilities will need to cater for these numbers.The change area should have seats and hooks for clothes.Both men and women should be able to get this.There should be a disabled toilet with shower and changing facility.There should be a change room with seating for parents of young children.
Step 6: There is a room for a meeting.
There will be meetings at different times.There is a need for a room that can be used for meetings.If the playing areas are used during meetings, consideration needs to be made to manage the noise.Smaller tables can be arranged to make a bigger table.If it is an open space, this area could be used for social events, presentation ceremonies, and as a gathering place for players to socialize.A canteen could be associated with this area.There should be a chair for each table space.There should be extra chairs and tables in storage.To allow Honour Boards to be mounted, make sure this area has lots of wall space so that promotional posters can be placed in plain sight.
Step 7: There should be a canteen area.
There needs to be a canteen area.Most of the time the canteen only needs a fridge, hot water, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, or sweetener.As well as a washing up sink and possibly a dishwasher, canteens should have equipment such as pie warmers, ovens, hot water urns and fridges.Make sure it has enough space to hold equipment and other items, such as tea towels, cutlery and crockery.The canteen is an important source of income for the venue and should be included.There is plenty of bench space to prepare food.It is important that the facility is secured and can be used by several different user groups.
Step 8: The centre can be made accessible.
Wheelchairs and the visually impaired should be able to use the building.Appropriate access is required on the playing courts.Swipe Card access to the building should be considered.Financial members could receive a card that could be used to access the building at a time that suits them.The method could be used to cater for players who work at night or on a shift.The card system can be used to record the lengths of lighting use, as well as allow or prevent access to certain areas of the building.
Step 9: Don't forget your administration office.
Between the entrance and the playing area, there needs to be an administration office.The playing area should be visible from where it is.The Administration office is where the playing fees will be collected.The area contains the PA system and where scores and other information can be submitted or collected.The area is needed for the display of draws and other information.The public can see into the office if the window display is clear.All administration work can be completed during tournaments if it's large.The administration office could have a lockable storage area under the heading of storage.The trophies may be displayed in the office.The table tennis equipment sales could be incorporated in the office.
Step 10: The correct parking area is here.
The amount of parking areas and anticipated tournament numbers will be used to determine parking needs.On tournament days, parking needs to be able to cater for larger than usual daily usage, as this may cause problems in surrounding streets with both access and safety concerns.Some parking areas may need to be limited during the week.Public transport can be used from parking spaces.If necessary, develop other methods.There should be a dedicated parking bay for emergency vehicles.There is an area where an ambulance trolley can move directly from the inside of the building to the ambulance without the need for stairs or gutter.There should be disabled access parking areas for wheelchair access where people can leave their vehicle and use their wheelchair to get to the playing area.
Step 11: Consider the layout of the table.
This is only a recommendation.State Associations require playing areas for tournament play.Before designing a table tennis centre, this guide is needed to work out the playing area.A standard court size is 10m x 5m, not including player seating.The number of tables required is based on the numbers required for daily/weekly use and what capacity is available to expand to run tournaments.The number of tables that are able to be operational at any one time affects the type and size of tournaments that can be run.It has suitable equipment, court sizes and lighting.A smaller playing area for wheel chair players would not be ideal for players who are more advanced than beginners.The court playing area will need to increase as the standard of the competition increases.An area of 14m long and 7m wide is required at international level.
Step 12: Barriers are good for the courts.
There are barriers between table tennis tables that can be used to stop the ball from straying into adjoining courts.Barriers should not be permanent fixed types because they don't allow the flexibility to adjust court sizes to meet the different needs of social competition or tournament play.The efficiency of floor cleaning and maintenance is improved by portable barriers.The table tennis barriers need to be collapsible so that they won't hurt a player.They should be about 1.5m long and 75 cm high and dark in colour.The size and colour of logos are regulated.
Step 13: The seating should be adjusted.
Both players and spectators should consider seating.There should be enough space for the seating and bags of the players at the court.During tournaments, seating should be available for a coach and a player from each team.In addition to the requirements of spectators, it is important to leave enough practical access and emergency access space for people to move around in any seating layout.
Step 14: There are storage areas.
There will be different types of storage areas.There needs to be a smaller storage area that can be accessed quickly and easily.The area will be used to store items that are frequently accessed.bats for use by social players, a first aid kit, forms for membership application, table cleaning apparatus, etc.They may have pens, pencils, paper, scorebooks, trophies, spare nets, posts, balls and more.There will be more expensive items such as laptop computers.That will be needed for tournament competition, table tennis robot and accessories for practice sessions and coaches equipment, office equipment that is used frequently, and more.The Administrative Office is where most of the equipment will be used or distributed.There is an area large enough to hold all the extra tables, barriers, umpires chairs, and chairs.It would be needed for tournaments.There may be other larger pieces of cleaning equipment that need to be kept there.The storage area should be easy to move.To make the task of transporting equipment easier, all equipment should be stored on trolleys.At either end of the storage area there should be access points.Delivery of any equipment can be done easily with minimum effort.There will be an area where a truck can back up to a storage area and pick up items.A roller door would allow the truck to back up and be more secure.Because of the need to have a clear space to allow for doors when open, an area that could be used for storage is not taken up.A large opening at the other end of the storage area would allow easy transportation of equipment if the floor level is the same as the playing area floor.There are reasons why a roller door would be better.There should be lights and power points in this storage area.
Step 15: A cleaner's cupboard should be included.
Often overlooked in building design, this is a very important and necessary item.A cupboard is needed to store the cleaning equipment.There are chemicals.The sink has hot and cold taps.A mop bucket can be placed under the taps if the sink is mounted at a height that will allow it.The sink should be big enough to hold mop buckets.
Step 16: Have equipment sales.
There is a limited range of table tennis equipment available for purchase.It will be possible for players to purchase a bat or ball at a reasonable price if they want to replace broken or lost equipment.Another source of money.
Step 17: You should have other equipment.
Equipment that is necessary and profitable should be included in the plan.They can be put in place at the venue for free and the providers will pay to have them there.This serves as another source of income.There needs to be at least one chilled water dispensers that will work as a drinking fountain and a source where drink bottles can be filled.There should be enough room for both dispensers.A table tennis robot is required.This may be used for another source of income.Umpires chairs are required for each table.Umpires will have a clear view of the playing area if the chairs are higher than the tables.Umpires chairs should have a platform that can be used for scoring equipment and boards.Information and announcements can be made from anywhere in the building with the addition of a PA system.It is necessary to run tournaments and communicate safety issues.In order for players to hear the announcements above the background noise, speakers need to be strategically located around the stadium.You should install phone and internet connections.This is a requirement for a lot of printers.
Step 18: Good wiring is a must.
There should be enough power outlets in the building to meet the needs of computers, Catering, and cleaning equipment.High powered equipment may need larger 15 Amp sockets.
Step 19: If necessary, use solar panels.
If possible, the building should use solar panels to reduce energy costs.
Step 20: Make the rules clear.
All essential safety measures and building maintenance logs should be kept in an accessible area.It should be mounted on the wall in a clear view of players and spectators.Emergency Evacuation Procedures can be seen in plain sight.An emergency exit is required.Aibrillar instillation is essential.They can be purchased or you can get one through a grant.Cold packs are available for sprains and a fully stocked first aid kit is readily accessible.
Step 21: There should be an area for rubbish and recycle bins.
This area needs to be easy to access for both facility users and bin collectors.There needs to be enough space for the bins.Bins should be able to be moved from inside the venue to the outside storage area without the need for steps.Bins should be located in a safe area.
Step 22: Have a good sense of security.
There are security cameras at the entrance to the venue.Either outside lights should be on a time delay circuit to allow people to reach their cars late at night or lighting covering the exit to the parking area automatically switched on.It's important for females to exit the building late at night.