Spring training is a nostalgic time of year for professional baseball fans. It’s synonymous with Arizona and Florida sunshine, unprecedented access to players and coaches, and the beginning of a quest for a World Series championship. Behind the scenes, this crucial time of year calls for state-of-the-art facilities and amenities for the top players and franchises in the world. In recent years, the largest advancement with such complexes has been the transition to year-round functionality that can lend itself to the Major League club in the short-term and then for training, development, and rehab functions the rest of the year.
Our Henderson Engineers
sports and recreation experts have completed spring training work at the
American Family Fields of Phoenix (
Milwaukee Brewers, Phoenix, Ariz.),
Peoria Sports Complex (
San Diego Padres and
Seattle Mariners, Peoria, Ariz.),
Sloan Park (
Chicago Cubs, Mesa, Ariz.), and
Surprise Stadium (
Kansas City Royals and
Texas Rangers, Surprise, Ariz.).
Below are the main design trends our lineup focuses on at these
Cactus and
Grapefruit League facilities.
- It’s all about the fan experience and creating more access to members of the franchise
Fan experience is the most important aspect to any spring training facility. This is where these complexes have changed the most over the last decade. Ownership, executives, and the cities that harbor these complexes make it a value point to our design engineers and architects that the experience for visiting fans is unrivaled in terms of access. Spring training innovation is simply to change the facilities so that there is optimal fan interaction with the players, coaches, and other members of the front office. These complexes are now designed so that team members walk right through the central core of where these players work every day, seeing the facilities live in action while the players are on the practice diamonds, in the batting cages, and in the pitching tunnels. There are also many up-close opportunities for fans to watch players train on surrounding fields throughout the complex while still having convenient access to the game stadium. In the past, access was more restricted, resulting in far less opportunities for fans to be around their favorite players and coaches.
Thanks to upgrades to the stadium designs, fans experience wider concourses for better crowd flow and movement, more concession stands and restrooms, and upgraded videoboards and scoreboards. The design goal for spring training facilities will always be to keep the fans in their seats as much as possible so they don’t miss any action on the field. When they do have to leave their seats, technology is readily available throughout the stadium via monitors, speakers, and mobile devices so that they don’t have to miss a pitch. Our Henderson team is always designing with the ideal fan experience in mind.
- Training areas with progressive capabilities are essential for recovery
With these facilities becoming popular destinations for players on rehab assignments coming off injuries, top-of-the-line athletic training rooms have become a necessity. These spaces are complex, often needing to be addressed by our experts early in design due to the hydrotherapy pools at an elevated slab condition. Beyond the structural considerations, we utilize dehumidification units
mechanically to control the heavy moisture loads produced within these spaces. The function of this system is critical to ensure that the room, its equipment, and the surfaces are maintained as intended. Additionally, the ducting also requires sloping due to the known moisture in the airstream. Thus, confined spaces to work in become a challenge.
The biggest challenge
electrically is the bonding of the metallic equipment and services within the room to a grounding grid. Everything metallic within the space must be bonded. This includes rails, soaking tubs, metallic floor drains and grates, doors, mullions, and light fixtures. In addition, all the electrical equipment must also be bonded to the grounding grid, which makes for a concentrated amount of grounding that must go into a single room and its components. We thrive in providing the necessary attention to detail for these spaces to thrive.
Plumbing is also difficult challenge in these rooms with a significant amount of connections needed. In most cases, the footprint is derived from the main floor’s circulation needs, so the pits below the pools themselves get confined and require special attention to coordination for us early in the process. These are often some of the initial systems to be constructed because they are on the ground floor. The pits often drive the plumbing drains below the building’s sanitary invert depth, so ejector pumps are needed to pump the discharge back up to invert. Our plumbing team features vast experience in executing these successful designs.
Advanced
technology exists along with all these training machines and devices with analytics and tracking available from the Major League stadiums throughout the country. The spring training facilities now have a comparable level of technology features as the top stadiums and training complexes in the sport. We provide well-designed systems to handle a ballclub’s network and operating system’s needs.
We ensure that all these details are not overlooked so that the finished space functions optimally, providing the best possible environment for elite athletes to return to big league action as quick as possible.
- Combined clubhouses and their evolution
In the past, spring training clubhouses were separated between the Major League and Minor League players. Teams now prefer a combined, larger clubhouse to help build organization camaraderie and expose younger players to the most talented athletes and leaders in the game.
The clubhouses have evolved from modest locker rooms to lounge-type spaces for players, coaches, and staff. Therefore, the
electrical amenities have also increased in a massive way. Many
audio-video systems are implemented to aid in baseball operations functions. Our team is instrumental in designing high-tech video walls, complex sound systems, custom and decorative lighting, illuminated lockers, and power and miscellaneous charging stations at every locker for various electronic devices.
In creating these environments, the larger clubhouses include some of the most difficult systems to design due to the sheer volume of people and the type of use. The locker rooms are tied to the shower rooms and toilet rooms
mechanically and are typically designed with 100 percent outside air units with heat recovery wheels for energy efficiency. This allows the approach of a standard DX system, but allows for a better control of moisture when needed. Air changes are a big factor because comfort in these spaces is critical. We make sure nothing is overlooked.
There are many other A-V and
architectural lighting designs by our team to make the spaces as appealing and calming as possible for the players. The clubhouse is a home away from home for professional baseball players, and often the only place outside of their own homes that they are afforded privacy, so comfort is vital to their wellbeing.
When it comes to creating a shared experience for thousands of fans and big leaguers, look no further than our
sports & recreation All-Stars at Henderson Engineers. We’re proud to create a Major League environment at spring training complexes. Whether it be the casual fan, most diehard supporter on a yearly spring training vacation, or the top players in baseball mastering their craft, Henderson has the knowledge and skill to design stadiums and complexes that provide lasting memories while experiencing America’s Pastime.
