Robbins MVP: 10 Years Later. We’ve come a long way baby!

What is the definition of a “good” sports floor? Is it the fancy logos or graphics that grab everyone’s eye? Or maybe the sound it makes when shoes squeak or balls bounce? For the avid sports fanatic, or even the not-so-sports-fanatic, these are all very important features that help identify not only the team, but the sport itself. But believe it or not, for players, coaches, and athletic trainers, there’s more important features to consider. Beneath the surface of a shiny hardwood floor with gamelines and school logos, is a well engineered subfloor consisting of just the right amount of mechanical features that provide protection for the athlete. The subfloor build-up is critical to the longterm health of the athlete since the floor can have a significant impact on joints, muscles, and endurance during game play. Proper construction of the floor is a science, and with over 100 years of continued improvement to the mechanics of our floors, Robbins understands what is necessary to achieve a floor that not only looks great on the surface, but also improves performance and enhances endurance of the athlete.

10 years ago in a top secret laboratory, the R&D team at Robbins began to develop a revolutionary sports floor known as the MVP (Maximum Vibration Performance). Vibration control in a sports floor is an important factor because it can have such an impact on the athlete. And with athletes starting as young as 2 years old these days, expecting more out of a sports floor has never been more critical. A low quality sports floor can have negative effects on the athlete that result in fatigue and an increase in injuries, which overall may reduce the length of the athlete’s career. In 2006, Robbins launched a plan to develop the only floor on the market that is biomechanically researched and tested to achieve maximum vibration protection for athletes. Utilizing the expertise of human performance/biomechanics expert, Dr. Benno Nigg at the University of Calgary, Dr. Nigg measured the performance results of the MVP system and determined it is “in a special category by itself“ and the difference in MVP “was substantial with respect to damping time, vibration frequency, and uniformity”. After thorough research and testing, iIn 2008, the MVP was officially launched and on the market.

Fast forward 10 years later, we revisited the 1st NCAA school to install the MVP in their gymnasium to learn more about the difference the MVP has made in their athletes. In 2008, Amber Warners, the Head Volleyball Coach at Calvin College, visited The Robbins Institute at Robbins headquarters in Cincinnati, OH, along with the Head Basketball Coach, Kevin VandeStreek, to learn about the various flooring options for their new basketball and volleyball facility. After testing out several different sports floor systems, they instantly noticed the difference in the MVP system and was sold. The installation of the new floor was completed in December 2008 by our dealer, Foster Specialty Floors. The facility features 18,000 sq ft of Robbins MVP with MFMA certified maple hardwood in the main gym, and 12,000 sq ft in two auxiliary gyms. The volleyball program at Calvin has had tremendous success. They were ranked No. 1 in their division at the end of the 2015 season, and have won 2 national championships in the last 6 years. They have also seen a reduction in player injury & fatigue which they attribute to the quality of the floor. According to Coach Warners, “since the floor helps prevent fatigue and soreness, our volleyball players aren’t wearing down as easy and they stay fresh. Fatigue is what increases the risk of injury. Since I don’t have to worry about fatigue I can push them harder because they can take more.”

Calvin is not the only college to jump on board with the MVP revolution. Other colleges including: Creighton University, Texas A&M, Hillsdale College, Loyola Marymount, and many more are now believers in the MVP system and having substantial success with their programs. The NBA is also taking notice. The Toronto Raptors, OK City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, and the Minnesota Timberwolves all make the list of recent NBA teams to install the MVP in their training centers.

Because of the excellence we strive for in building the best floor system on the market, at Robbins, we not only build floors, we build champions. We are honored to be chosen as a supplier to such a variety of great sports program on the college and professional level. Even more so, we are excited to hear how pleased our customers are with the MVP and how its making a difference in the health and well being of their athletes!

Watch the video and full interview with View Coach Warners here:

 

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Robbins Sports Surfaces is the premier supplier of high performance maple and synthetic sports flooring systems to the arena, education, religious and fitness markets. In more than 65 nations around the world athletes compete and practice on millions of square meters of Robbins’ Sport Surfaces. Professional and amateur alike know that when they play on a high performance Robbins’ system they’ll be able to play at peak levels, safely and comfortably. For more information about Robbins sports flooring systems, please contact a Robbins representative at 1-800-543-1913, or complete the online contact form.