Room Furniture – The changing room is more than just a space for getting changed. It’s a place for players to collect their thoughts before going out to the court, it’s a place to store personal items and it is the first place they go after winning or losing. As such – it needs to be a space that is comfortable, practical and has secured storage. Read on for our practical guide to changing room furniture.
Lockers
Let’s start with storage. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that we need to lock away our personal possessions and valuables, otherwise they have a tendency to go missing or be vandalised/messed about with. You need to provide changing room lockers that can accommodate the everyday items your players might be carrying – mobile phones, car keys, etc. – as well as their off the pitch clothing. If your changing room is a dedicated space for your basketball team, then consider getting larger lockers in sufficient quantities for the entire team and support staff; if you share the changing room with other use cases, then you might want smaller lockers in greater quantities.
Top quality lockers are manufactured from metal, with anti-bacterial powder-coat finishes to prevent the spread of microbes. Consider whether you want lockers with integrated locking mechanisms or you will be using external padlock/combination locks. Make sure to get locker units that incorporate ventilation – otherwise you will quickly get a build-up of musty smelling air.
Benches
Your benches are probably an even more essential part of the changing room than the lockers. Benches should be big enough for players to sit on without having to perch on the edge, and should be provided in sufficient quantity that each player has more than enough room to sit down without being crowded in by their neighbours. The type of locker room bench you get will depend largely on the dimensions and shape of your changing room: if you are struggling for space, you’ll need to go for wall-mounted or wall-adjacent options, whereas if you have a lot of space you can make the most of it with freestanding, dual-sided benches that can be used to create islands away from the wall.
Either way, you should definitely look at benches that have integrated hooks and shelves. These will let your changing room users hang up kit, coats or other clothing, store larger items and place their outdoor shoes. You can find benches in a range of different configurations, so think carefully about what you want and need before you go on the hunt. For better airflow, consider shelves or shoe racks that are slatted or mesh. Once again, look for furniture here that is finished with an antibacterial coat to help in preventing illnesses from spreading throughout your team.
Whiteboards
Let’s not forget about pre-game planning and last-minute strategizing. A whiteboard can be a great tool here, letting you display, adapt and collaborate on information and present it clearly for the whole room to see. Choose from either a fixed installation on a wall or a freestanding or castor-mounted white board for added versatility.