Waterlogged pitches can be problematic and make it impossible for your local sports club to operate, so with the recent bad weather and heavy rainfall especially in the post Christmas period, we thought it was the perfect time to give some advice on how to better protect your pitches and playing areas.
While it’s impossible to completely flood-proof your building or sports facilities, there are lots of things you can do to reduce the damage flooding can cause. Some are simple and temporary, while others involve more significant changes and a larger budget.
Drainage
The layout of your pitches will vastly affect the amount of drainage that will occur after heavy rain, so unfortunately much of this may be out of control, unless you can afford to have extra drainage (such as slit drains) installed.
For a football club, if water levels remain high then keeping play out of the goal mouth area is also a good idea to prevent the pitch from becoming overly muddy and causing more permanent damage to your pitch.
By using pitches generally when water levels are high, you run the risk of damaging the grass and being forced to re turf sections once the weather improves. With an increase risk of injuries, reducing use for all facilities is a useful rule of thumb for heavy rain or any overly disruptive weather (eg. ice or snow).
Covering
Keeping your pitch covered with a specialist pitch covering can also be a good way of ensuring it remains protected. Coverings can provide extra benefits alongside protecting your pitch from water damage, sometimes offering frost protection that keep your pitches playable in the winter months. Pitches should always be covered when not in use.
Protecting Facilities and Club Houses
Consider installing shelving and/or cupboards at high level to keep high value / vulnerable property away from the flood waters.
Talk to your local architect, building surveyor or contractor about which surfaces can be installed to the floor and walls to be more resilient in times of flood. Using more resistant and robust materials can help you re enter your property more quickly following an incident and start to repair any possible damage more safely, while better protecting your sports club interiors from the damage caused by high waters.
If you are located in a troublesome location for flooding, it might be worth moving all electric sockets to 1.5 feet higher. This can prevent more widespread damage to your electrical system should a flood occur. Also make sure any audio-visual equipment like tvs and speakers are kept above the potential water level if a flood does occur.
It’s also worth considering investing in some flood boards that can be permanently attached to your location, making it easier to deploy protection in the event of a flash flood.
Post Flood Dangers
Aside from the inconvenience of having your facilities out of action for weeks, there can be some more serious dangers from the fallout of a flood at your cricket, football or sports club.
Floodwater can shift dangerous debris onto all areas of your sports ground or even hazardous chemicals or materials. So be sure to ensure that every aspect has been checked and cleared thoroughly before reopening following any flooding or water damage.
If you have been affected by flooding and want to know what measures you can do to support your claim, why not read our article here about claiming after a flood.
To get in touch with us about bespoke insurance coverage for your sports club, contact one of our trained professional staff at Club Insure, the premier sports club insurance broker.