The New Year 2016 brings with it a new court surface at Island Pacific Academy. IPA students and athletes can now make use of a combination volleyball and basketball court right on campus.
The new court surface in the IPA parking lot offers both a basketball and volleyball configuration.
Mike Axelrod, Athletic Director, says he saw other parking lots being used for multiple purposes and realized the school was under-utilizing space. “After researching outdoor court surfaces, I determined that we could use our existing asphalt and surface to maximize the use of space without impacting our day-to-day operations,” says Axelrod. “In fact, the new court surface enhances our day-to-day operations by providing a court for secondary physical education classes and use by all during recesses.”
The first phase of the project involved putting down a special sealer and leveler on the existing asphalt surface.
Axelrod spent time researching local vendors and canvassing the IPA physical education teachers, principals, and coaches to determine which play surfaces would benefit the school the most. “I opted for All Court Hawaii,” Axelrod says. “They were highly recommended and are the ‘go to’ guys for this sort of project.”
The next phase of the new court installation was the blue finish coat. Both the black and blue coats include silica which helps to level and fill-in imperfections of the existing surface.
Installation of the new court surface began in mid-December and concluded during the winter break. IPA now has a new surface which includes a regulation-size volleyball court and a very nearly regulation-size basketball court. “From the baseline to the top of the key, it is a regulation court for basketball. The volleyball equipment is here and the basketball stands and hoops are on the way,” says Axelrod. A temporary basketball stand and hoop has already been brought in over the break.
Until the two in-ground (removable) basketball goals arrive, a temporary one is situated at one end of the new court.
Both the volleyball and basketball equipment for the court surface are removable. “The poles goes in sockets in the ground and can be removed for other purposes of the space,” explains Axelrod. “We plan to use some of the fencing saved from the old JK playground to create ball stops in key areas.”
The first part of the installation involved digging holes for the volleyball posts.
The entire court surface project including equipment has a price tag of approximately $15,000.00. The All Court Hawaii work for the court surface was covered by proceeds from the 2015 IPA Golf Tournament. The work to put in the new court surface covered over the old nine-square play grid. “A new nine-square grid was done over the break and the four-square grid was repainted too,” says Axelrod.
Both the four- and nine-square play grids were repainted during the installation of the new court surface.
“The new court surface allows for occasional parking and the surface can be cleaned by scrubbing and hosing down,” says Axelrod. “We will be working to re-install a handi-cap parking spot adjacent to the court as well as adding the IPA name and logo.”
Elementary students test the new court surface with the volleyball net up.
One of the benefits of the new court surface is the addition of practice space for IPA Navigator Athletics. “We have ten teams between volleyball and basketball (intermediate, junior varsity, varsity) that can use this court surface,” says Axelrod. “This means that some of the teams will no longer have to go off-campus to practice. And, of course, all of IPA is welcome to come out to enjoy the new courts.”
Elementary students enjoy a game of tag with Terry Fuller on the new courts during recess in late December.
