Multi-use game areas (MUGAs) are public spaces where children and adults alike can participate in a variety of physical activities. These facilities may be used for exercise and fitness, group activities, and organized games such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, and other sports.
The popularity of multi-use (or multi-sport) game areas is increasing steadily in the U.S. because of the benefits to their communities. Multi-use game areas provide cost-effective, multi-functional, and year-round safe places for all ages to exercise and socialize.
Multi-use Game Areas by Agorespace
For communities that are landlocked, or without budgets for large sports complexes, MUGAs can provide a cost-effective way to maximize the use of their limited space or facilities. Building facilities for individual sports use requires a great deal of space and larger budgets. Municipalities, especially low-income communities, churches, and schools can save money by having multi-sport areas for general use. Why spend the money to build separate game areas when you can take one game area and creatively adapt it to your needs? A multi-sport site requires less maintenance and repair versus multiple individual courts or fields. With a MUGA, a tennis court could be turned into a basketball court. A volleyball court could be used to play soccer. Each community can design a completely tailor-made site.
MUGAs can be uniquely designed to accommodate activities for all age groups, all year round. Seniors can walk the track while there is a kid’s soccer practice conducted on the field. Back-to-back basketball pickup games, tennis matches, and soccer games can all be played on the same surface. Contrast this with non-multi-use fields that often sit idle when the season is over. With multi-use game areas, the field can be quickly adapted to suit the needs and interests of the community. And by offering a wide variety of sports options, kids are exposed to unfamiliar activities, like tennis or pickleball. A MUGA may encourage some kids to take part in a sport that they otherwise might not have played, just because it is now publicly available.
Kids are often left with limited options as far as organized activities and afterschool programs. While most schools offer extracurricular activities, MUGAs can be a great alternative for those who aren’t part of a school sports team. They can enjoy playing games and forming healthy relationships with others outside of school. Similarly, adults are offered an opportunity to exercise, learn a new sport, or socialize with others in their community. So, whether you are interested in learning a new game or want your kid’s school team to practice there, multi-use game areas create opportunities for everyone living nearby.
Every day, communities are making decisions about how to invest their limited resources. While exercise and fitness areas are important, a MUGA can also serve as a central area for young and old to congregate and spend time, hang out with their friends, play a quick game, or watch others. When it’s easier for people to access such facilities, they tend to get more exercise. This valuable community resource leads to better overall health and physical development for its members. (Meet Agorespace...)