Purchasing a basketball hoop for your home is an exciting occasion, as you envision endless days of shooting hoops with your friends and family. However, one thing many people don’t realize is the dangers that are posed by purchasing low-quality, portable basketball hoops for their driveway or backyard.
Every year, several children across the United States are killed and many more injured while playing on a portable basketball hop. From falling hoops to the limited space it offers, a portable hoop is not the best option when it comes to safety. A professional-style, high quality basketball hoop not only offers a more authentic playing experience, but it prevents serious injury.
Portable Hoops Fall Over Easily
The most clear disadvantage of a portable basketball stand is their propensity for toppling over easily. Whether from an attempted dunk or simply a gust of wind, the hoops pose a serious risk when they come down.
Many children are injured, some fatally, when basketball hoops fall on top of them. Especially with the adjustable models which can be lowered to a height where kids can reach the rim, often times when they want to emulate their favorite star by slamming the ball, they can take the entire unit down with them.
The combination of a heavy metal pole, a thick rim and a strong backboard can cause serious damage when coming down at a rapid pace. Cuts, bruises and head trauma are just a number of injuries that regularly occur every year from falling portable basketball hoops.
No Overhang, Lots of Danger
The optimal amount of overhang for a basketball hoop is at least 4 feet, however the portable versions usually have the pole directly under the backboard. This creates virtually no overhang and a strong possibility of players running into the pole.
As players drive to the hoop or battle for rebounds, they are susceptible to colliding with their pole, risking head, shoulder and knee damage as their momentum carries them into the hard metal. Without overhang, players have absolutely no chance to react when bludgeoning towards the base, drastically increasing instances of injury.
Sprained and Twisted Ankles
Portable basketball stands are a hotbed for rolling ankles for two reasons. The first is that as mentioned above, with the pole directly under the hoop, players have no room to position themselves safely. As they constantly jump under the basket, they have a high risk of landing on another player’s foot, which can cause a sprain, twist or even a broken ankle.
The second reason is that the large base is right under their jumping radius. Especially when a player is running at a high speed towards the hoop, they have the possibility of stepping on the base once they complete the layup or block. As many bases are large and bulky, they are extremely hard to avoid and players may also trip over them, causing other injuries as well.
Heavy Bags and Cinder Blocks are Not Safe
To combat the possibility that a portable stand may fall over, many owners place cinder blocks or heavy sand bags on them in an effort to increase “safety”. However, all this does is replace one safety issue with another, as the heavy, hard and sharp-edged bricks only add to the immediate dangers surrounding the hoop.
As mentioned above, the base of the basketball pole is already a dangerous piece of equipment that can easily be ran into or tripped on. The addition of cinder blocks means that if a player runs into the base, the danger is seriously increased. Replacing one issue with another does not equal an upgrade in the safety department.
Adding Sand or Water to the Base
Although better than placing large bricks on the base to keep it stable, adding sand and water do not necessarily make the basketball stand better. As the sand is placed inside, it makes the base extremely hard and offers little give, so any collision can do serious damage to the player. Furthermore, once you add sand, the base is not portable as it is far too heavy to move, making it more effective to purchase a professional grade hoop from the start.
Adding water also makes the base very hard, but it offers another issue, as well. During the winter, the water usually freezes and then cracks the base, adding the danger of sharp, broken plastic to the potential dangers directly under the rim.
Stay Safe with a Quality Basketball Hoop
If you are serious about having an amazing basketball experience and keeping your family and friends safe, then you are far better served to invest in a proper hoop. With adequate overhang, a solid structure and no dangerous base immediately under the basket, you can avoid many of the unnecessary injuries that occur.
The basketball court building experts of My Backyard Sports are always available to help you choose the perfect hoop for your home court. Contact Us Now to chat with our experienced team and get insider tips on the selecting the best basketball setup at a great price!
