How to Install a Lifetime Basketball Goal

If you worry about your kids' safety at the park, install a lifetime basketball hoop in front of your house or in your backyard to ease your mind. Having your own basketball hoop will also be the shiny new toy the neighborhood kids will be begging to share with your child. A lifetime basketball hoop will also help you sharpen your own basketball skills by having a convenient place to practice right outside your door.

Things You'll Need

• Bag of cement
• Wheelbarrow
• Mixing stick
• Wrench
• Screw driver

Instructions

1. Assemble the pole by fitting the pieces of the pole together. Depending on the model of your hoop, you may need to attach bolts. Some poles do not require assembly.

2. "Dig a hole adjacent to the playing surface at least 36 inches deep and 18 inches in diameter," suggests Basketball Manitoba. It's important to check the specific directions for your basketball hoop as the pole may be shorter, therefore requiring a smaller hole depth to achieve a proper 10-foot regulation hoop measurement.

3. Mix the concrete. According to Basketball Manitoba, you should "mix the concrete according to the instructions on the bags. (Remember to keep the mix fairly dry. It will dry more quickly and will help support the post better as it dries.)" A single 80 lbs. bag of cement is all you need.

4. Fill the hole with the concrete 4 to 6 inches below ground. This will allow you to fill the rest of the hole with dirt later so that the basketball hoop appears to be sprouted from the natural ground to be more aesthetically pleasing than a slab of cement.

5. Support the pole until the cement dries enough to hold it up. The cement should be allowed at least 48 hours to dry before continuing to step 6.

6. Fill the hole with dirt to match the surrounding ground level. You can seed this area later to grow grass and really fool those viewing your basketball hoop.

7. Attach the extending brackets to the top of the pole.

8. Attach the backboard to the pole, then attach the rim to the backboard. Thread the net onto the rim.

References

• Basketball Manitoba: How to Install a Basketball Hoop