A modular connector system for facilitating the construction of a playing area or non-playing area, such as an outdoor or backyard ice hockey or skating rink, a netted or lighted area, sand box, garden, and the like. Spanning boards and/or inserted poles can be used to join side connectors to corner connectors and to side connectors to form a free standing, fully enclosed, partially enclosed, walled-in, netted, or partitioned area.