New multifunctional court opened in Schapen: More sports for school, club, and leisure

The sports facility in Schapen has grown with a new offering: The city of Braunschweig has opened an all-weather multifunctional court there. The approximately 515 square meter area has been officially in operation since Wednesday and is intended to noticeably expand school, club, and leisure sports on site. The project was planned in close coordination with TSV 1921 Schapen.

New area complements the existing sports facility

According to the administration, the sports facility in Schapen previously consisted of the following facilities:

• a natural grass playing field
• a synthetic turf field for football
• six tennis courts
• a beach volleyball facility
• a long jump facility

The new multifunctional court is added as an additional, flexibly usable training and playing area – an advantage especially where occupancy schedules are tight and different groups need training times in parallel.

At the opening, Mayor Dr. Thorsten Kornblum emphasized the character of the project as infrastructure for everyday sports: “With the new multifunctional court here in Schapen, a place for sports and community has been created. We are investing in our sports infrastructure to promote school and club sports and to create spaces for movement that appeal to all generations.”

Basketball (3x3), fistball – and space for many formats

The new court offers the following sports and movement formats:

• Basketball (including streetball/3x3)
• Fistball
• Handball
• Badminton
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Aerobics, gymnastics, stretching, and relaxation exercises

This very range is the practical core of the project: Instead of creating another specialized facility, a weather-independent space is created that can be rearranged and used as needed – from school sports in the morning to club and leisure sports in the afternoon and evening.

For sports such as 3x3 basketball, which often work with smaller groups and shorter playing times, such a space is particularly well suited, as training and spontaneous play are possible without much organizational effort.

Suitable for the local club structure

The planning in coordination with TSV 1921 Schapen is also relevant because the club already offers several of the sports that are possible on the multifunctional court. Thus, the new area not only complements the facility, but also addresses requirements from ongoing sports operations: additional practice times, more alternatives in case of weather conditions, and a lower threshold for movement offerings that do not require large field infrastructure.

More flexibility as a central benefit

In sporting terms, the multifunctional court is less a competitor to existing playing fields than a functional addition: It creates opportunities for parallel use, for different age groups, and for training forms that can only take place to a limited extent on classic football or tennis fields. For the sports facility in Schapen, this means above all more flexibility – and for the district, an additional, permanently usable space for movement that brings together club, school, and leisure sports.