We know that your decision to purchase (or not) is out of our hands. All we can do is listen well, provide recommendations, listen well again and inform. Once you have all of the information that you are looking for, you will be able to reach a decision – and we think it has more to do with trust than with anything else.

This way of doing business seems obvious, and on some levels it is. Certainly it is simple enough, but it is really not a dominant philosophy in this industry. There is a lot of product pushing, where the wrong pieces are suggested as a means to meet a retailer’s goals, as opposed to your goals. This is sometimes followed by post-sales issues, dodged phone calls and mounting disappointment.

We know that we need to price competitively, so we do. But we also believe that you need to feel confident with the retailer with whom you choose to do business. To help you feel confident in what we have to offer, we suggest that you give us a call and ask us your questions. We are anxious to demonstrate our difference.

We think we are different. In fact we know we are different. Give us a call. A person will answer the phone. During business hours you will speak with one of our staff – a person who has years of experience within the game room product line. They know the products, they know the shipping challenges, and listening is their first priority. After hours, an answering service will take your call. Again, these are real people – not recordings. They will do their best to help, but if they cannot, they will send us a message so we can respond.

What does this mean for you? It means that we are your resource. You will receive sound guidance from seasoned professionals who have seen thousands of installations and have a pretty good idea of the challenges that you might face. They can help you understand product differentiation that is potentially unclear. And they all know that it all starts with listening.

So give us a call. Let us know what your challenges are and how we can help. We will listen.

Technology is forcing us to communicate, work and play faster, and while technology tends to make our lives easier in many respects, it also robs us of a simplicity that was once commonplace.

Some of us have forgotten that before iPods, there were jukeboxes. Before video games, there was foosball. Before social media, we socialized while playing pool or shuffleboard. Instead of exploring the vastness of the World Wide Web, we explored the expanse of the great outdoors. We have, at times, replaced meaningful relationships with digital connections. For everything we have gained, we have also given something up.

You can get back what you have lost.

Rekindle relationships with your family and friends by disconnecting for a spell and enjoying some family fun. Board games are becoming popular again. Tournaments are held for pool, table tennis and a variety of other activities that force you to unplug from the Internet. Social media is a wonderful tool that is opening many doors and helping us connect with others. But you don’t have to stop being social and sacrifice those connections that are closest to you and closest to home.

Now get up and go play!

It all went very smoothly exactly according to the instructions except in retrospect I learned the following:

1) If you are going to pour cenet, move all of your components VERY far away from the pour. it splashes a lot and got on my components. I washed them off but there are still residual traces.

2) I was able to mount the glass backboard “myself:” as long as my wife pushed and stabilized from underneath.

3) When mounting the glass on the frame, keep the bolts lose. The holes in the glass are protected by silicone gaskets that move around and potentially occlude the hole. It is easier to adjust if the glass is slightly lose ( although secure ! ) and tighten completely AFTER the goal is installed.

4) to put the goal up, start with ONE screw in the top slot. secure with washer, lock washer and nut. Go get the next set and then secure the other top slot ( instructions say to install both bolts in goal before lifting to mount. my way is better).

5) I almost put the top cap on the post before i lifted it into place but i was sure there must be a reason that the instructions called for it last when it was obviously going to be so much more difficult. I figured I was going to need to get my hand in there for a step that was not obvious to me. Actually – NO ! Put the top cap on BEFORE you lift the post. It would have been way easier.

The driver was a really nice guy and I gave him our old portable hoop. It worked out great for him and for us. After he left I started to get to work on emptying the boxes and sorting through the components. Wouldn’t you know that the one thing I was really keen on – the template for the bolts in the base – was missing. I called First Team and by my description they were pretty sure it fell out in transit. They told me I could make one out of plywood or they could send one overnight. My pour is scheduled for 10 am the next day so overnight was not going to work. Quick call to Rand L and they said they would look and IF they find it they will bring it over. Not good enough – I need to know one way or the other. I call the specific dispatcher and get him to agree to call me after he talks to the driver. Net result is they do not have the template and I am off to the depot to get some plywood cut.  I need a 12″ x 12″ square and inside I will drill 9″ x 9″ on center.  I do this by making diagonal marks to identify the center and then drop down1.5″ from each end where it intersects the line. I then drill a 5/8″ hole with a speed bore.

Above is a picture of the assembled template with the bolts installed ( facing in ) . I then assembled the base so I could test my template before the pour and the end of any opportunity to make changes. The great news i that it fits perfectly.

Net up the pour and a day of rest while it hardens

The real challenge has been not getting too wide as I go deeper. It is now about 30″ wide and keeps getting a bit wider every time I go in. The net result is that a project that started as 1/3 yard of concrete is probably going to be a yard+. not the end of the world, but something I would still like to control if I can. My thought now is to purchase a sonic tube or a form and fill in around it with dirt. I will write on that after I review options.

I am now digging with the little shovel and pot you see in the post. There is really no other way to get the dirt out at this juncture except to loosen and then shovel into the pot. Very slow going ( maybe a pro install is better…. )

The bball delivery is scheduled for Wednesday. the pour is scheduled for Thursday am.

The hole is supposed to be 2’ x 2’ by 3’ deep or below the frost line. Our frost line has been reported as 1 meter up to 40” . I found this map on line and this one as well which both seem to suggest that 36” will be safe. Just to be sure, I called our building department and they told me 42”. I am now really depressed and have a ton more digging to do.

I started digging Saturday morning using a post hole digging tool and a shovel. I ran into a bunch of rocks and went to the depot to get a 6’ pry bar. After that it was slow going, particularly as the hole got deeper without getting much wider. At this point I can only make progress by being in the hole and digging with a small shovel and a crow bar. The challenge now is to keep getting deeper without getting wider. The hole is already more than 2’ x 2’ and the wider I get the more concrete I am going to use. I am also working on belling out the bottom.

So now I need to lift the rock out of the bottom ( came from the side), go about 6” deeper and bell out the bottom. I then want to build a frame for the top so that I end up with a square pour. Lastly I am going to pull chalk lines from the house foundation so that the system will be exactly perpendicular to the house.

We are so jazzed by the work that these guys did we are building a special section of the site to cover it. Watch for it soon.

I also went with padding and a retention net because there will be a hill behind my mount. now I have to get out my shovel and get to work! i am going to pre dig the hole and get my cement lined up and ready in anticipation of an arrival early next week. After that I will post some pictures of the completed project.