Basketball courts: Transforming your backyard

If you have a lot of spare space in your backyard, you can utilize it for creating your very own basketball court right at home. Even some years back, this would be a time consuming and laborious process. You would have to prepare the ground for the court, then buying the poles, nets and other equipment. Then you would have to dig a hole and secure the pole, fix the net with the pole and all that. The process would involve long hours of back breaking labor and required good level of building skills. With the DIY (Do It Yourself) kits available nowadays, the process is a breeze and you can get it done in about a day with little requirement for skills. Some effort will surely be required, but it is less than half of what you would need if you chose to do it from scratch.

When you buy a DIY basketball kit, however, make sure to pay attention to some points. These are:

1. Standards followed – Make sure your kit follows the standards necessary for your requirements. If you are looking to create a small, single-net basketball court, and the kit you mistakenly pick up is meant to be used for setting up full sized professional basketball courts, it is a sheer wastage of money. Also, read the standards followed by the manufacturer of the kit. Look for adherence with NBA standards for best results.

2. Skills and instructions – True, not much skill is necessary to build a basketball court using a DIY kit. But, make sure you know at least the basics of building rules. Also, read and follow the instructions in the manual diligently. Skipping a step here can compromise the safety of your court for you and other players. Also, make sure your measurements are correct with respect to the manual.

3. Price of the kit – When you buy a DIY basketball kit, you can expect to pay some cash. But it is really a small price to pay when you consider the quality time you will get to spend with friends and family, or even alone in the basketball court.

Once you have bought a kit and laid the flooring material, it is time to move on to installing the poles. Dig a hole deep enough that can allow the pole to be embedded at least one foot and three inches below ground level. Install the pole and fill the hole around the pole with cement. Then, fill the pole with cement as well, for extra stability. Fix the hoop and the net on top of the pole, allow the cement to dry and you’re done. Have fun playing with your kids or friends.