One of the new things that comes with toddlerhood is that Alton plays with everything. He has plenty of toys, but with summer rolling around and this really being the first year that he’s truly mobile, Amanda and I realized something–he doesn’t have a whole lot of stuff to play with in the backyard. He’s still too little to take advantage of the sweet treehouse the prior owner built, and I can’t put him to work with the lawn mower yet. (Setting aside the stupidity that would be involved with letting your toddler operate landscaping equipment, he’s too short to effectively utilize the pull cord to start it…)
One thing Alton’s big on is anything involving balls. In case you hadn’t heard the story, Alton spends most of his time after church before we go home gazing longingly at the basketball hoops in the auditorium, and when he saw the Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set, this happened:
I’ll take “Things my child has done that made me melt and buy something for him” for $200, Alex.
Now neither my wife and I are especially athletic, but I remember sports being present in my childhood. I played tee-ball and whatever they called the next step of baseball that followed (we didn’t have pitchers yet, but there was a pitching machine). My grandfather made me a tee for tee-ball once out of some rubber hosing and an old washing machine agitator, which I always thought was cool (As I’ve said in the past, he was a child of the depression, and he always found ways to make things out of items that others may not have thought of).
I also played some soccer–I was a forward, I don’t think I ever scored, but have memories of two things in my time as a soccer player. 1) camping out in an ankle deep puddle dubbed “Lake Michigan” on the field at Boeckman Creek Primary School, and 2) Taking a ball to the face so hard, that a good number of parents audibly gasped. (For the record, I kept playing–I think it looked like I was hit harder than I actually was)
I decided that a soccer goal would be a nice addition to his options in the backyard. And in the spirit of my grandfather, I really wanted to build it myself. Here’s how I did it!
The goal I made is 24″ high, 24″ deep, and 36″ wide, which required 14′ of the pipe. The cut list is as follows:
24″ x 4 pieces
36″ x 2 pieces
Step two – Assemble the goal
The sides are the easiest part to assemble–each one takes one elbow and places two 24″ pieces into it.
The top and bottom take the 36″ pieces and add an elbow to either end. The tricky part is getting them both lined up–you’ll likely get the sides attached to one and realize in spite of your best attempt to eyeball it, they’re not aligned. This is okay, just twist them until they are.
Step three – attach the net
I used a cargo net that I was able to stretch around the goal and hook to it. There may be other options available (I thought about everything from mosquito netting to plastic construction fencing zip tied to the frame). Whatever works for you, sometimes it’s just whatever you have extra of. Get creative on it!
Disclaimer: Most DIY projects involve risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skills will vary, as will the conditions at your project site. The Hesitant Handyman has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions provided on this content. The Hesitant Handyman will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all commonly accepted safety precautions.
