Miami Dolphins in the Bubble

The Miami Dolphins are lucky enough to have their very own training facility. This is just right for a team who was able to get a perfect season in 1972. The training facility for the Dolphins is located in the main campus of the Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. It is also the headquarter location for the Dolphins and is also used for a multitude of other events.

This state-of-the-art training facility features an exquisite architecture which reminds people of classic athletic facilities sporting the same design. The facility boasts of bowing trusses and has on of the largest weight rooms in the NFL. It also has training and locker rooms, whirlpools, therapy swimming pools, cold plunge pool, administrative offices, and of course, a practice field. Further, it has a bleacher building which accommodates 2000 visitors. The facility has an area of 5,200 square meters and is also used by other pro football teams.

An indoor training field known as "The Bubble" is also one venue of training for the Miami Dolphins. It is a 8,790 square meter indoor facility that covers the 2.2 acres on the west side of the main building. This indoor facility is an air-supported structure. The said structure was made and installed by the Air Structures American Technologies Incorporated but was constructed by the Stiles Construction. The football field inside the training facility is made out of synthetic turf composed of 75% rubber and 25% sand thereby providing a firm-playing surface. The markings found on the Dolphin Stadium game-day field is also replicated in this indoor facility. Loud crowd noise can also be simulated inside the bubble.

Before having this training facility, the Miami Dolphins trained at the St. Thomas University until 1993. Then in 2006, the indoor air-conditioned training field was added, which made the people of Miami, particularly the Dolphins proud of having such a useful and one-of-a-kind venue. The team admits that having such a training facility helps the team to feel as if they are playing in an actual field since the facility closely simulates actual games. Plus, an even better advantage is that the team can continue to practice even when the storms roll in.

The Bubble uses an extremely light yet sturdy fabric. It is inflated via the fans in the HVAC units and is controlled by an integrated control system. It was also designed to withstand the forces of hurricane winds up to category three. To achieve this, the internal air pressure is increased to stiffen the structure to withstand the external wind loads. The Dolphins do not really own the Bubble, it was just leased out to them by Jerome Harriot.

The Miami Dolphins training facility was the venue used by the 2006 AFC Champions, the Indianapolis Colts, to prepare for the Super Bowl XLI. For a team who has really excellent training grounds, the Miami Dolphins have a lot of pressure in their performance. People expect a lot from a team who is given the best of everything and so far, the Dolphins has been giving an average performance.

About the author: Rick Grantham is an avid NFL fan. Most of Rick's articles focus on Miami Dolphins Merchandise. Many articles are related to NFL mini helmets and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village

by Rick Grantham - January 21, 2009

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