Twenty-four years ago we constructed this basketball court at our farm. Playing hoops is in our blood and has been for as long as I can remember. My Dad played in a semipro league when two-hand set shots were in style. Growing up, so many hours of enjoyment were spent in the backyard shooting with my father. Three generations later the love for the game of basketball has just grown stronger.
Having three boys that were between the ages of 10 and 17 when the court was built, was almost as necessary as having a house on our property.
Over the years maintenance is imperative if the court is to continue to serve as a playground for future generations. The backboard has been replaced twice, which is no easy task but keeping the blacktop free of mosses is a ritual that takes place every four or five years. Mosses are commonly found in moist shady locations. With the court constructed in the middle of the woods, shade and moisture are abundant. The slippery moss makes it very dangerous. The last thing Grandpa needs is to have someone get hurt while playing.
After looking into several different products to use to kill and remove the moss, I thought I found the answer. 30 seconds Outdoor Cleaner, Spray and Walk Away should have read, Spray and Waste Your Money and that's exactly what I did. After spraying several areas numerous times I realized that this product was s--t. Not only had I wasted money, but I had also wasted my time using this stuff.
In the past, power washing the court worked great, but it takes a lot of time.
Finally, after 35 hours of power washing, spread over five days, the court was free of that slippery green stuff, moss.
This year I also decided it was time to plumb up the main posts that support the backboard. Over the years they have leaned forward and needed to be straightened out. By running a 3/8 inch cable from the top of the support to a 4-ton come-along anchored to a tree in the woods, I was able to pull the basketball stanchion back to plumb.
Repainting the lines on the court was the next upgrade. Over the years the three-point line had totally worn away while the lines outlining the key and the foul line were still well-defined. Using a concrete nail, driven into the blacktop, I established the radius for the circle which delineates the 3-point line. With a piece of chalk tied to the other end of the cord at a distance of 19 feet 9 inches from the back edge of the rim, I scribed the arc.
Following the chalk line, using this line painter, only took a few minutes to complete this task.
Using orange paint was not my first choice of color, but that was all they had besides black.
For bank shots, the shooter's square provides players with a visual guide for calculating the trajectory of the ball off the board. This rectangular box had also worn off over time. This guide also has specific dimensions.
After outlining the shooter's box in tape it was also painted orange.
Bring on the next generation of hoopsters.
As I finish up this blog, the basketball season is in full swing. Two of our grandchildren Ava and Skyler just started High School this year as freshmen.
They both made the H.S. team and are already turning heads with their game, playing Junior Varsity as freshmen. Our only grandson Owen is playing in two different leagues. Both of the teams he's on travel all over North Jersey. One of the teams, the Ringwood Skyhawks is coached by his Dad, a great player in his time both in H.S. and in college where he received a scholarship to play.
Stay tuned, as a proud grandfather plans on sharing with you some of this year's action on the hardwood.