Smart Sports Lockers Encourage Physical Activity in Prague 8
Sports equipment can now be borrowed free of charge at two primary schools
Foto: Praha 8
Prague 8 is expanding its leisure facilities: new smart sports lockers from the LOX system have been installed on the grounds of Burešova and Glowackého primary schools. They allow sports equipment to be borrowed free of charge for up to 90 minutes.
The new lockers are part of a joint project by sporting goods retailer Decathlon and the start-up YourLOX. Available equipment includes badminton rackets, footballs, volleyballs, Frisbees and basketballs.
“We believe the smart lockers will prove successful and will be well received by both children and parents,” said Prague 8 Deputy Mayor for Education Matěj Fichtner. He added that the district is ready to support the installation of additional lockers at schools.
Foto: Praha 8
Free 90-minute equipment hire
According to Jan Štorek, Chairman of Prague 8's Sports Commission, the lockers are intended to make sport and physical activity more accessible. Users can borrow the available equipment free of charge for 90 minutes before returning it.
The scheme is aimed particularly at families with children who want to play basketball, football or other sports at public sports grounds, explained Councillor Jana Solomonová, who is responsible for culture, sport and leisure.
Prague already has several other smart sports lockers at various locations. They can be found in Prague 7 at Port7 Holešovice and in Prague 4 in Podolí, at Central Park Pankrác and at Roztylské náměstí. Visitors can also borrow sports equipment there free of charge for leisure activities.
Foto: Praha 8
Thousands of loans in the first year
Decathlon and the Slovak start-up YourLOX launched the pilot project in the Czech Republic one year ago. After twelve months, the operators have reported positive results.
In its first year, the system recorded 2,729 users and 3,135 loans. The sports equipment was used for a total of 1,523 hours.
Badminton rackets were the most frequently borrowed items, with 627 loans. They were followed by footballs with 507, volleyballs with 366, Frisbees with 362 and basketballs with 297 loans.
Regional preferences also vary. At Prague's Central Park Pankrác, badminton, football and Frisbees are particularly popular. In Hradec Králové, fitness equipment is used most frequently, while basketballs and volleyballs are among the most popular items at the Brno Reservoir.
YourLOX founder Patrik Dolinský sees the project as an example of how modern infrastructure and publicly accessible sports facilities can be successfully combined. The aim, he said, is to make sport even more accessible to more people in a simple and flexible way.
