Issue

During COVID-19 quarantine, community centers and schools in the Tampa area began taking down basketball nets to discourage gathering in public. People like my dad and my husband, who enjoy playing basketball, were forced to find safer ways to exercise. One major obstacle for my dad in particular is that he does not own a home gym nor a basketball hoop. Basketball brings him joy especially in periods of isolation and confinement. The ideal solution would be the ability to play basketball from his house, however, his HomeOwners Association will not allow non-permanent fixtures in the front or side of the property – including basketball hoops. For a Christmas present, my husband and I decided to create a solution that would allow him to store the basketball hoop in the garage while conserving space. 

Solution

There were a few important factors considered when designing the hoop: 1) because of my dad’s age, it is ideal that the basketball hoop is lightweight and easy to move in and out of the garage, 2) the hoop must be easy to set up and take down, and 3) the folded assembly must fit within the 8’x4’ area in the back of the garage. Due to budget constraints, the materials we were able to use consisted mostly of recycled items from CraigsList to create a functional prototype. We also needed to consider the force from the user shooting hoops and the great momentum that it creates at the top of the hoop, which could potentially cause it to fall over. The basketball hoop was designed and constructed from wooden beams and a reused table with wheels mounted to the bottom. The final design folds inward and covers the floor surface area of a 8’x4’ folding table.

Result

The end result was a retractable basketball hoop that a woman who is below 90th percentile height, and is of average weight and fitness level, was able to single-handedly unfold and fold again. The hoop when standing is able to withstand the typical force of a basketball being thrown at it, but is unable to sustain the weight of a person hanging from the rim of the hoop.  The initial prototype was successful for its first design intent. With increased investment, the next prototype will compact into a smaller floor area and be made of harder materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, or stainless steel tube. Future design intent will include a simple compact and expand button with a motor to create a user friendly experience.