Choosing the Right Basketball Hoop for Your Gym

Keep your gymnasium up to date with the very best equipment. Since basketball hoops are the focal point of many gyms, what are some of the tips you should be following in your quest for the best basketball hoop you can afford for your gymnasium?

What kind of basketball hoop is right for my gym?

Wall-Mounted Basketball Hoops

For indoor gyms, basketball hoops and backboards usually come in one of three types: mounted to the wall, mounted to the ceiling or portable. Wall-mounted hoops are attached permanently to the walls at both ends of the court. You can usually find professional-looking basketball hoops of a fairly high quality for an affordable price. While wall-mounted backboards are not removable, they can be made adjustable. Most wall-mounted hoops either have an adjustment feature built in or can be made adjustable vertically between 8 feet and 10 feet in height by purchasing an optional backboard height adjuster. Some wall-mounted hoops can be folded out for the optimum desired placement, or swung up for gyms that require room for other sports. Installation of wall-mounted backboards admittedly can be a cumbersome process, but once they are in place, wall-mounted hoops afford you easy access and convenience, and they are available in several setback distances.

Breakaway basketball rims like the kind sold at First Team have sturdy and dependable positive-lock mechanisms and an adjustable breakaway feature to withstand the tension associated with athletes who play above the rim and are capable of dunking the basketball. Built to conform to all NCAA and high school standards, First Team breakaway rims also feature anti-whip nets that do not tangle and durable, no-chip finishes. Most indoor basketball systems, whether portable, wall mounted or ceiling mounted, typically include a breakaway or flex style rim.

Portable Basketball Hoops

On the lower end of the budget spectrum, you do not have to spend a fortune to put a basketball hoop in your gym if you opt for a portable system. These tend to be the most accessible, affordable and versatile choices, as portable hoops can be set up quickly and easily and moved around or stored away without much muss or fuss. Most portable basketball system have features to adjust for different heights, catering to players ranging in age from kids to adults, and more upscale portable backboards also have necks that adjust to extend further outward. Most adjustable hoops can be moved from 6 feet to 10 feet, so if kids are going to be using the hoop, they won't be discouraged by starting out on a system that's just too high for them.

Portable basketball hoops are on the lower end of the budget spectrum, you do not have to spend a fortune to put a basketball hoop in your gym if you opt for a portable system. These tend to be the most accessible, affordable and versatile choices, as portable hoops can be set up quickly and easily and moved around or stored away without much muss or fuss.