Being active is paramount for Jeff and Melissa Bronaugh and their two children. So, when the pandemic hit, the Ashburn family wanted to update their lower level to accommodate their family’s needs, including ways to incorporate soccer training.
As a fitness buff himself, Chris Jones, owner of Adaptiv Design Concepts (AdaptivDC), also based in Ashburn, could relate to the Bronaughs’ request.
“After looking at overall ideas and the budget, we decided to focus on a unique soccer training area,” Jones says. “I know how gym areas should function, based on the athlete’s age and type of training needed.”
While the indoor soccer training area was the first project of its kind for Jones, he was up for the challenges and creative design solutions. One of this project’s challenges was the installation of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that is normally used for racquetball courts at gyms. Another challenge was getting the pressure sensors to work correctly with the digital counter on the custom graphic target wall.
The main graphic wall is a 21-foot-wide by 9.5-foot-tall target wall with internal digital targets. When the targets are struck, a sensor receives the information and posts the score to a digital counter mounted on the wall. The young athletes can then use the targets in combination with a timer to create striking workouts. The digital display can be seen from anywhere in the space with 3-inch LED numbers and can be easily reset to zero with the push of a button.
“The most enjoyable part of this project was designing the large wall mural that incorporates elements from the family and favorite teams,” Jones says.
The mural is made of three-quarter-inch medium-density fiberboard (MDF) with a printed overtop.
The indoor turf floor with thin padding underneath is used for foot skills in combination with cones and ladders for workouts. The turf floor also functions well with gliders for core strength workouts.
Used for soccer training multiple days of the week, the indoor sports court includes insulation to minimize noise and a rolling storage unit, while the glass doors keep balls from bouncing into other areas of the lower level. The final product gives the young athletes a dedicated space to work on ball skills, speed, agility and striking accuracy.
Photo by Angela Newton Roy
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