When one considers college athletics, keeping players safe and comfortable on a functioning floor system should be top of mind. For Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ, their auxiliary gymnasium is used for more than athletics, making the comfort and safety of the floor even more important. The auxiliary gym has a robust schedule of sports practices and events, college and community speaking engagements, and community luncheons.
Routine Maintenance Reveals Opportunity for New Product
Therefore, when Mathusek Inc., who handles much of the flooring throughout Ramapo College, conducted a survey of the auxiliary gymnasium, part of the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center, they noticed signs that its synthetic gym flooring was ready to be replaced.
Ramapo College agreed and they assumed it would be replaced with the same type of poured polyurethane flooring that was already installed. Instead, Mathusek recommended using a new performance synthetic flooring system from Action Floors that was a better choice – Action 33 Blue.
Floor Installation Reveals Pleasant Surprises
Initially, the installation team at Mathusek Inc. saw some challenges in terms of accessibility to the space, and they anticipated difficulty in moving the heavy base padding normally associated with synthetic floor systems through the college’s hallways and to the gym. Because the padding for Action 33 Blue is lighter than other synthetic base pads, it was much easier to work with.
In Phillip Mathusek’s own words:
“Our workers were very happy with the installation of Action 33 Blue. The rolls of underlayment weighed much less than normal granular recycled rubber and allowed the workers to move around much faster. Also, the comfort of working on top of the high shock-absorption system was a noticeable perk.”
Once the pad was installed, the rest of the installation process was no different than what the installation team was used to. The combination of dealing with less weight and not having to learn a new process that might come with a new flooring system, made recommending this flooring ideal for Ramapo College.
More Comfort and Increased Safety
Since the shock absorption level of Action 33 Blue is 33%, playing on it provides a noticeable difference for athletes and also helps protect their joints and ligaments.
Action 33 Blue provides an ideal surface friction value for a surface, protecting users from rotational injuries from pivoting and other movements typical in basketball and other competitive sports. Staff at the college commented that, “the new floor is much safer for athletes.”
Action Floors’ John Jemail states, “There is an absolute, undeniable gained comfort with Action 33 Blue. Even walking on it, you can tell the difference.”
Design Flexibility for Schools
The new Action 33 Blue floor system provided the college the perfect opportunity to update their color schemes with refreshed logos and game lines, adding another level of newness and freshness to the Bradley Center gym.
However, the college is not locked into their new design for the life of the floor. Because it’s such a versatile product, if any future design changes are desired, the floor system can be refreshed with new colors, logos, and game lines.
Expectations Exceeded
Overall, the college is always happy with the work that Mathusek Inc. does, and this installation was no different. But in this case, the unexpected difference in the comfort and performance of the flooring system made this upgrade remarkable.
Even though the pleasant surprises of this flooring have been revealed, you can still experience the newfound comfort and quality of Action 33 Blue in your gym. Contact us to discuss your specialized flooring needs online, or by phone at 800-746-3512.
