Thank you Atomic Sports for sponsoring this post.
My older son started playing basketball when he was in 3rd grade. It was the first time that I really saw his face light up when he played a sport. He was determined to learn how to dribble better and how to make shots from all over the court. We signed him up for lessons and a few summer camps.
We had a basketball net in the yard that he used daily, but it was pretty old and beat up. So when Atomic Sports reached out to us to review their in-ground, adjustable basketball goal, I was excited to surprise my boys!
Atomic Sports’ basketball goals are height-adjustable (huge bonus when you have smaller children), dunking-approved (including hanging on the rim), and are protected by a lifetime warranty.
We were sent the 60″ Ironclad Triple Threat Basketball System. This isn’t your typical driveway basketball goal and does take time for proper installation and set-up including some simple concrete work.
It took us about a day to dig the hole, which should be 48″ deep and 21″ x 21″ square, or about this deep, and do the concrete work.
Both boys were anxious to help my husband and dad install their basketball goal. After all, it is for them!
They built a form before pouring in the concrete to ensure that the concrete pad remained straight and square. Once the hole was filled with concrete, they carefully positioned the anchor plate and bolts in the concrete according to the directions.
We thought it would be neat to put the boys’ hand print in the concrete with the date. Something that we could always look back on and see how big they’ve grown. That’s me just being a sentimental mom. I know I’ll cry over this one day, ugh!
Then we let the concrete set for about a week to make sure it was fully dry.
The last steps require a few strong guys to help out and takes about 2 – 3 hours. They recommend 6 people, but we were able to do it with my husband and 2 of his friends.
You need to secure the post to the anchor bolts and attach all of the parts to the post. The hardest part is holding up the backboard and attaching it securely to the post. That’s where having a few additional people to help is necessary.
Once that’s done, it’s game on!
My boys are literally outside every day playing. I love seeing them outdoors together. My younger son will be playing basketball this year for school, so they have a lot of practicing to do.
The best part about this in-ground basketball goal is that my 8 year-old can easily crank down the basketball rim to an appropriate size for his age level.
The key for younger players is to make sure they are using a rim height that is appropriate for their size and strength. He always got so frustrated when using our old basketball net because it was too high for him. Now he can practice his shooting techniques and he feels more confident.
Then when my older son (who is 11) goes out to play with his friends, they can raise it to regulation height. The kids love the breakaway rim, which will flex down and snap back up when released, although they aren’t heavy enough yet to make the rim flex.
We’ve had many family nights outside playing basketball. My boys favorite game to play is P-I-G. It’s the same game as H-O-R-S-E but just a shorter version. The first person shoots from anywhere they want. If they miss, it goes to the next person until someone makes a shot. Once someone makes a shot, everyone (in order) must make that same shot. If you miss, then you get a letter. Once you have all of the letters (P-I-G) you are out. The last man standing wins!
Make sure to check out AtomicSports.com. They have been a family owned and operated company for 29 years. They provide a variety of basketball goals depending on your needs and situation. They took the time to learn about my family in order to recommend the best goal for us.
I am very impressed with the sturdy construction of this goal and the detailed yet simple instructions were easy to follow. I know we will be enjoying this goal for many years to come. You can check out this installation video to give you a sense of how to install the product.
