Basketball backboard maintenance - acrylic

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Ask Jack: I have a Lifetime adjustable basketball goal. The acrylic backboard comes loose from the frame. I have already had it replaced once by Lifetime but the same situation occurs with the replacement. Is there anything I can do myself to repair the backboard. I don't feel like dealing with lifetime again. Thanks, JF on 1/2/09

Jack sez: There is an acrylic spray enamel that might help protect your basketball backboard. Remove the board from the poles and spray the openings. Most likely, it would need to be sprayed on twice a year. It is available at many paint, hardware and home improvement stores.

Here is one more important piece of information. Companies have been known to void their product warranties when buyers tamper with the product. Think of cars and computers for instance. When they are modified, the warranty is made null and void. If the company is willing to replace the board for as long as you care contact them, then do not modify the board. Take the replacement warranty.

Length of sports career

Ask Jack: What is the average career span for professional athletes. KJ on 11/17/08

Jack Sez: The “playing career” of professional athletes varies with the sport. For instance, a recent news article noted that the average life of a NFL running back is 2.6 years, a bit less than the overall pro football career of 3.8 years. This kind of information is difficult to find on all sports but a generally accepted "career" figure is around five years.

Here is an interesting little research project that you can do on your own. The current roster of the 2007-2008 Champion Boston Celtics has 15 players. Just 7 players were age 21 to 24 while 7 players were age 30 to 41. What does that tell you about the longevity of pro basketball players.

The 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Philllies showed a roster of 25 players with an age range of 25 to 44. However, 18 of their players were between the ages of 28 and 33 with 14 of them age 30 or younger. They also had 6 players over the age of 33. What do these data that tell you.

The 2007 season NFL Champion New York Giants showed a roster of 51 players. All but two players were age 22 to 34. However, 29 players were age 24 to 27 while 17 players were age 28 to 34.

By doing this type of roster research, you can see the age comparisons of the various sports. To do this, make an age chart consisting of the birth year of the players. Then simply tally the age of the players. Visually, you can see how the age range varies by sport. Of the three sports above, the Celtics had the youngest players. The Phillies had the greater number of older players. By comparison of these three rosters, the number of players over the age of 33 fell off dramatically. Keep in mind now that these were three championship teams.

Now, back to your question. This type of research does not tell us much about the playing career longevity. However, it does show us that individuals with long playing careers are rare. This is particularly true in sports than involve heavy physical contact and collisions.

Recreationally, people can be active participants in many sports as long as they want to play. Many active seniors age 70 and older are regular golfers, tennis players bowlers, softballers, swimmers, runners, boaters, hikers, fishermen, and hunters. Use it or lose it.

White stripes on footballs

Ask Jack: Why are there white stripes on college footballs and not on pro footballs? Pedro on 10/22/08

Jack sez: The original purpose of the white stripes on footballs was to make them easier to see, particularly at night. These stripes were applied to both college and pro footballs. However, it appears that the professional players complained about the stripes because they made the ball slippery and more difficult to catch.

Today, there are no stripes on the NFL professional football. However, there are stripes on balls used at other levels of play. There are also white stripes on many of the consumer level footballs found in department stores and discount houses.

Basketball goal post placement

Ask Jack: Just wondering if you could let me know how far back does the basketball pole is installed from the excusal playing area? I know the rim is 10 feet off the ground, just not sure how far back off the court do we installed the pole. Thanks Tammy on 9/29/08

Jack sez: Ms Tammy, Officially, the front face of the backboard extends 4 feet onto the court from the inside of the base line. This means that you need some pretty stout braces to support that span. For recreational purposes, the post should be a one to two feet from the front face of the backboard.

FAQ - Homemade basketball goal

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Ask Jack: Greetings Jack. I would like to make my own basketball hoop and board and install it at my backyard for my lovely kids to play basketball. Could you provide the dimensions and measurements? Would be glad if you could recommend some models with samples and drawings that I could follow. Thank you, BKMH in Japan on 9/24/08

Jack sez: The official size of the NBA basketball backboard, for instance, is 42 inches tall by 72 inches wide. The shooting guide rectangle is 18 inches wide by 24 inches wide. The white lines of the rectangle are 2 inches wide. The size of the backboard that you wish to build can be of any size, like 36 inches by 48 inches, but it should be wider than tall.

The backboard can be made of wood, metal or some acrylic material. If made of wood, be sure to give it several coats of paint or stain then another coat each year.

Basketball goals or rims come in two sizes, small and regular. The small ones are used for training and are not much larger that the standard basketball. Most stores sell the standard or regular goals. They are 18 inches in diameter.

The top of the basketball rim or goal is mounted 12 inches above the bottom of the backboard. The top side of the goal is 10 feet from the ground.

The pole on which the goal is mounted can be sunk in an 18 inch to 24 inch hole. Fill the hole with cement.

The backboard can be mounted to the pole in several ways. First, it can be mounted directly to the pole. However, this does not leave room for maneuvering under the goal. If possible, mount the backboard to 12 to 24 inch long support arms and then affix the supports to the pole. These can be square or triangular.

Visit the following links for more information

http://www.basketball-goals.com

http://www.produnkhoops.com

Caution: Commercial basketball goals and backboards are made to take a certain amount of abuse. This is likely to happen when the players are able to jump and dunk the basketball and hang on the rim. Keep this in mind as you select the materials to build your basketball backboard and rim.

Basketball goal height for 10-12 year old boys

Ask Jack: How high should a basketball hoop be for 10-12 year old boys? MB in New Zealand on 5/12/08

Father-daughter sports

Ask Jack: I am an Australian father who has coached his daughter at netball, which is predominantly a women's sport. I'd like to know if many formal father/daughter sport programs exist in the United States, and how I might learn about them. Thanks, PG in Australia on 1/15/08