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Origin of the Basketball Hoops
Do you know the story of the original basketball hoops? You may have heard that before the metal rim with a hanging net that we use today, early players of the sport used a peach basket as their hoops. Let’s look into the origin of this iconic game, a world favourite, and how the game itself—as well as the hoop it relies on—got its start.
Basketball is, of course, a game involving a basket and a ball. But before today’s modern “hoop,” an actual basket, the legendary peach basket, was used. The sport was started by a man named Dr James Naismith. Dr Naismith taught physical education (both as a class instructor and as a college professor who trained future instructors) at a school, Springfield College, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts gets quite cold and long winters, and Dr Naismith was searching for ways of keeping the students in his physical education classes occupied and active while they were stuck inside all winter. He tried several types of games that never quite caught on, but when he drafted some initial rules and crafted the first basketball hoop, he invented a game that would make history.
In the school’s indoor gymnasium, there was an elevated track running around the room. Onto it, Dr Naismith nailed that legendary peach basket, and students used a soccer ball to score points by tossing into the basket.
Of course, several modifications happened to the game as the rules solidified, including the evolution from peach basket to the basketball hoop that we know today. To get the ball out, a hole was drilled in the bottom of the peach basket. Then it was replaced by a metal hoop with a hanging net.
The last major change was that a backboard was added. Remember how the original basket was nailed to the elevated track? Spectators for early games would sit on the track level to watch and could reach down and interrupt a shot into the basket. This is why modern basketball hoop has a backboard. Of course, today, that backboard serves a purpose in the game, allowing rebounds and assisting players with scoring points off the board. But when it was added, it was just to keep meddling fans out of the way. Since we have gone through the brief history of the basketball hoop, we shall now look at some of the top basketball hoops for kids.
Review of The Top 3 Basketball Hoops For Kids
Fisher-Price I Can Play Basketball for Toddlers
This review is for the I Can Play Basketball set for toddlers, which is shorter, and adjusts to a maximum height of a little over 3 feet. There is a taller Fisher-Price I Can Play Basketball set that extends to a maximum height of 6 feet. The toddler model is best for kids 18 months and up. Both basketball sets receive very positive reviews on popular shopping sites. Kids can make easy baskets with the over-sized rim.
I Can Play Basketball is a good beginner set for toddlers because it comes with a Sure Score rim that fastens to the basket. The Sure Score rim is shaped in a way that helps the ball go through the basket much easier at close range. Kids can start off playing basketball with the Sure Score rim attached and then remove it at any time to increase the challenge level. The rim simply lifts off of the basket. No tools needed.
Specifications
- Virtually unbreakable 32-inch polyethene backboard
- Weather-resistant 3-piece steel pole
- Simple telescoping pole
The basketball pole is height-adjustable with four different settings. The maximum height is 3 feet as mentioned earlier. Adding sand to the base isn’t necessary, or even possible, because there is no holding compartment. But the basketball pole is very sturdy and not very tall, so it doesn’t wobble. The whole thing weighs 9 pounds.
I Can Play Basketball is perfect for indoor use because it’s very small in size, but outdoors as well. The product material is the same hard plastic used for many of the Fisher-Price toys.
This set comes with all the needed parts and one small basketball. The assembly is simple. The basketball is intended for toddlers so it is naturally small in size. Different balls can be used with the hoop, but the balls should be similar in size and weight of the provided ball otherwise a heavier, larger ball might damage the plastic.
Pros
- 4 height-adjustable settings (up to 3 feet maximum)
- Toddler-friendly Sure Score rim for easy baskets
- Small basketball and extra-wide basket for easy goals
- Compact size for indoor use can be used outside
- No sand needed for this model
- Reasonable price
Cons
Some kids outgrow it fast
There aren’t many complaints about this basketball set. It gets very good reviews, but kids may outgrow the set faster than others, but it is the perfect height for small toddlers to play with, and the price is reasonable. If you think your child might outgrow the three-foot height too soon then consider buying the taller I Can Play Basketball set that telescopes to 6 feet instead of 3 feet.
Little Tikes EasyScore Kid’s Basketball Hoops
The Little Tikes easy score Basketball Set is a great basketball system for kids from age 1.5 to 5 years. The basketball system’s dimensions are 23.8 x 22 x 60 inches. This basketball system is very light. It weighs only 8.4 pounds which makes it easy to carry outdoors or indoors when it rains. The EasyScore is made of plastic. It is similar to a portable basketball system in the sense that one can add sand to the base for better stability. The sand will have to be purchased separately. This basketball system for kids is height adjustable.
It can be adjusted from 2.5 to 4 feet. It can be used for many years, as the child using it grows old. The height can also be easily adjusted for taller or shorter playmates. Assembling the product properly is very important. The instruction manual helps with this. It can be up and ready in a few minutes. However, make sure to securely attach the rim to the backboard so it does not fall off. It will require a bit of force to attach it securely. Fill the base with sand to make sure that it does not tip over.
Specifications
- Product dimensions: 23.8 x 22 x 60 inches
- Weight: 8.4 pounds
- Height: 2.5 to 4 feet
- Recommended ages: 1.5 to 5 years
- Model number: 612329
Pros
- Price is low
- Height adjustable
- Solid and sturdy
Cons
- Assembly
- Plastic material
The Little Tikes easy score is an affordable basketball set for kids aged 1.5 to 5 years old. It is made of plastic and has to be assembled properly, but when it is, this basketball set is solid and sturdy.
Fisher-Price Grow-to-Pro Kid’s Basketball Hoops
The Fisher-Price Grow-to-Pro Basketball is a great basketball set for kids to grow with. It is recommended for a child 2 to 5 years of age. Adults like it for the fact that this basketball set can be used with a regulation basketball. It also comes with a child-sized ball. This basketball set has an adjustable height. The height can be adjusted from 3 to 6 feet in 1-foot increments. Some parents even think that this hoop can be used until the child is 7 years old. It is good for solo play, one on one or team play which makes it good for improving a child’s social skills as well.
This basketball hoop includes an attachable ball scoop so that the child does not have to chase after the ball after shooting it. Some find this attachment useful. It can also be removed just as easily. Assembling the Grow-to-Pro can be difficult for moms. It does not need tools to set it up, but it does require a good amount of brute force. Some may find the instruction manual to be difficult to understand. Yet, for others, it is fairly easy. After assembling, the base should be filled up with either water or sand. This makes this basketball set more stable.
Specifications
- Weight: 19.6 pounds
- Height: 3 to 6 feet
- Recommended for ages: 2 to 5 years
- Model number: J5970
Pros
- Affordable Price
- Ball return scoop
- Height adjustable
- Sturdy
- Can use regulation balls
Cons
- Assembly
- Instruction manual
The Fisher-Price Grow-to-Pro is a reasonably priced and height-adjustable basketball set for kids. It may be difficult to assemble and the instruction manual may not be the best, but it is a good quality, solid and sturdy basketball set for ages 2 and up.
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