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Project Profile: Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)

Australian Institute of sports hardwood courts

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Action Floor Systems® proudly provides some of the top facilities in the world with hardwood maple and synthetic sports flooring. That includes places where Olympians and professional athletes hone their skills on the way to prominence.

In 2016, we had the opportunity to update the courts at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in the capital city of Canberra. It’s home to the Centre of Excellence (COE) for Basketball Australia, where elite athletes have launched incredible careers.

The AIS has a rich history of training future NBA stars like Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills and the 2016 No. 1 draft pick, Ben Simmons. WNBA MVP, Lauren Jackson, is another famous name to have played in the facility.

When the AIS needed to renovate its training hall they turned to Action Floors for help replacing a 32-year-old hardwood court used not only by young basketball players, but by volleyball, netball and other athletes as well.

How Action Floors Helped Revive a World Class Facility

Dark wood on the old AIS court.

Dark wood on the old AIS courts.

The old flooring system at the AIS was a court where Australian Olympic teams had practiced since 1984, and the time had come for a fresh start.

“It had served the AIS well but was getting tired, and the dark color needed to be modernized,” says Action Floors Sales Representative, Norm Goedheer, who worked closely with the institute throughout the project.

“The light timber color was requested by Basketball Australia and Netball Australia,” explains AIS Facilities Manager, Stephen Morgan. “The lighter floor surface has brightened up the hall, along with the new LED light fittings which were concurrently installed.” 

Action Floors and its Australia-based partner, Ace Floors & Coatings, won the bid thanks in part to our commitment to sustainable practices and green products.

“The fact that our sports flooring systems are manufactured and sourced from a carbon negative timber mill was certainly a nice bonus when the time came for the AIS to choose,” Goedheer says.

Installing the Action Cush II flooring system at AIS.

Installing the ActionCush II Plus flooring system at AIS.

We identified the floating floor system, ActionCush II Plus, as an ideal fit for the facility. It matched the height requirements of the previous floor while providing dimensional stability and strength along with exceptional ball response. However, ActionCush II Plus works well for more than basketball, which was important since the AIS training hall has multiple uses.

“The hardwood surface is suitable for other sports to use the hall, which provides flexibility for commercial usage during high-performance downtime,” Morgan says.

The entire AIS facility renovation was a $750,000 project that took three months to finish.

When it reopened in March of 2016, it was time for Australia to start preparing for the biggest international stage in all of sports. The Australian Opals became some of the first athletes to use the new court as the women’s national team trained for the Summer Olympics in Rio.

A Floor for the Future

Training on AIS new hardwood maple court

Training on the new courts from Action Floors.

The tradition of guiding future stars at the AIS training hall will likely grow on the updated hardwood maple court. That’s because the renovated facility caught the eye of NBA officials who chose the Centre of Excellence in Canberra as the location for a new global academy.

These academies give international basketball standouts a clear path to the NBA. It will be a place where some of the best high school basketball players in the world come to train under special scholarships before choosing whether to attend college or go pro. Morgan says the new floor was one of the many benefits the AIS offered the NBA, and others have noticed as well.

More About the NBA Academy at the AIS Basketball Centre of Excellence 

“We are extremely pleased with the finished product,” Morgan says. “The Australian men’s team coach, others from Basketball Australia (Centre of Excellence) and visiting teams have commented most favorably about the finish and great feel of the floor.”

Action Floors is honored to play a part in providing a foundation for athletes of all levels. Whether it’s a high school court in a small town or a world-renowned facility, we come from a long tradition of respect for the forest, the manufacturing process, the athlete and the game.

Contact us today or call 1-800-746-3512. Tell us a little about your project and we’ll help point you in the right direction.

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