WWYD? Basketball backboard broken again by neighborhood kids.

[jdedmom]

We have a basketball hoop in our driveway. A few years ago my oldest sons friend threw a matchbox car at the backboard and it broke it. My DH went to speak to the kids father and his response was "Oh well". This summer we finally replaced the plexiglass. Today, another neighbor threw a stick and put a hole in the backboard. My DH is pissed. He wanted to go and talk to this kids parents and make them pay for the damage. I had to get him to calm down. First I told him since this was a different kid we should let it go. It was an accident. Who would expect a stick to go through the backboard. He didn't mean to break it. My other issue is that these neighborhood kids are finally coming around again and hanging out with my son after 6 months of not hanging out. I don't want my son to be the victim of bad feelings and anger because this kid got in trouble for a mistake. It's not worth my son being ignored by the rest of the kids in the neighborhood.

Now, to clarify, if something was done on purpose or maliciously then I would definitely take it up with the kids parents but for now just let it go. Just curious....what would you do?

[CarrieMF]

These are teenagers, sorry but teens know that throwing sticks will most likely break something. What if it was a window of your house, what would you expect them to do? IMO the teen should be paying at minimum half to replace it.

[MusicianDad]

Personally, I would replace the plexiglass backboard with a wooded one.

[TiredX2]

What kind of stick? Like a nunchuck?

I, personally, would never think that athletic equipment would be hurt by having a small toy or stick thrown at it. I mean, you have 200+ lb men slamming balls into it without breaking, right? I would replace it with something a little hardier. I don't know exactly what happened, but I would be upset it broke.

[Momily]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

These are teenagers, sorry but teens know that throwing sticks will most likely break something. What if it was a window of your house, what would you expect them to do? IMO the teen should be paying at minimum half to replace it.

The OP's son turns 13 this month, although I don't know the age of the other kids. I have a problem with an idea that as soon as a child hits 13 they're suddenly a "teenager" who shouldn't need our guidance and who can't make mistakes.

I also think that a backboard should withstand more punishment than a window -- frankly if a stick can break it, I wouldn't think it would hold up to a basketball for long.

My first thought would be to contact whoever you bought it from, and also, if you happened to pay by credit card to check the card's replacement policy. It seems like it's a defective backboard and one of them should pay. If not, I'd let it go. I can't imagine that a hole from a stick is large enough that it would effect play, although I also wouldn't expect the plexiglass to last much longer if a stick broke it that easily.

[HollyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

What kind of stick? Like a nunchuck?

I, personally, would never think that athletic equipment would be hurt by having a small toy or stick thrown at it. I mean, you have 200+ lb men slamming balls into it without breaking, right? I would replace it with something a little hardier. I don't know exactly what happened, but I would be upset it broke.

I agree. I mean seriously a match box car?? a stick??? If any backboard could be broken that easily I would calling the manufacturer or returning to the store!!

I have seen grown man slam into those things and hang of them with no damage. And these are ones you can buy at any big box retailer, not professional ones you find at gyms or on playground.

[jdedmom]

Originally Posted by Momily

The OP's son turns 13 this month, although I don't know the age of the other kids. I have a problem with an idea that as soon as a child hits 13 they're suddenly a "teenager" who shouldn't need our guidance and who can't make mistakes.

I also think that a backboard should withstand more punishment than a window -- frankly if a stick can break it, I wouldn't think it would hold up to a basketball for long.

My first thought would be to contact whoever you bought it from, and also, if you happened to pay by credit card to check the card's replacement policy. It seems like it's a defective backboard and one of them should pay. If not, I'd let it go. I can't imagine that a hole from a stick is large enough that it would effect play, although I also wouldn't expect the plexiglass to last much longer if a stick broke it that easily.

Thank you. This was my thinking as well and I totally agree.

[talk de jour]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

What kind of stick? Like a nunchuck?

I, personally, would never think that athletic equipment would be hurt by having a small toy or stick thrown at it. I mean, you have 200+ lb men slamming balls into it without breaking, right? I would replace it with something a little hardier. I don't know exactly what happened, but I would be upset it broke.

yeah, I might go as far as calling the company that made it and asking WTF it wasn't withstanding normal pressure.

[jdedmom]

I appreciate everyones replies. The old backboard was here when we bought the house so I don't know how weak the plexiglass was from the weather and age for a matchbox car to go through. This time it was a large walking stick about 1 1/2" around. I don't think it should have gone through the plexiglass. We will contact the company for a replacement. It should still be under warranty. Thanks for the idea.

[kathymuggle]

I have mixed feelings. The truth is most young teens I know are hard on things, and while my DS's have broken or scratched a few things - none of it was on purpose. I have never called their parents on it, and no one has ever called me about anything my son may have broken. It is a reciprocal thing - a certain amount of breakage is expected, yk? DS has had a few friends over the years who seemed particularly hard on things - and I either supervised them well, had certain areas "off limits" or did not invite them over as often.

Was the stick 0.5 inch or 1.5 inches? The first sounds like a stick, the later - a log. I would not expect a 13 yr old to have the common sense not to throw a stick at a backboard - but I would expect them to have the common sense not to throw a log at a backboard.

Did the youth apologise?

kathy

[~Megan~]

dang, how hard do you have to throw a matchbox car or a stick for it to break plexiglass? I thought they were a lot more durable than that.

[CarrieMF]

The OP's son turns 13 this month, although I don't know the age of the other kids. I have a problem with an idea that as soon as a child hits 13 they're suddenly a "teenager" who shouldn't need our guidance and who can't make mistakes.

IMO kids from 10+, even earlier should know not to throw sticks, especially one the size that the kid did throw. If it was a 6yo I"d agree with you, but a kid this age should really know better on what you do & don't throw. You dont' "accidentally" throw a stick this big. It may not have purposely been AT the backboard, but throwing it wasn't an accident & there should be consequences to it.

[MusicianDad]

dang, how hard do you have to throw a matchbox car or a stick for it to break plexiglass? I thought they were a lot more durable than that.

They should be. Lets see... basketball players do their jumping and hanging from them... Hockey players run into them and hit them with pucks and other players... Used in submarines and other vehicles that have to deal with high pressure environments... Riot vehicles used by police have plexiglass instead of glass... Visors for motocycle helmets...

All in all, either that kid threw that stick with a grenade launcher, or it was crappily made.

[Momily]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

IMO kids from 10+, even earlier should know not to throw sticks, especially one the size that the kid did throw. If it was a 6yo I"d agree with you, but a kid this age should really know better on what you do & don't throw. You dont' "accidentally" throw a stick this big. It may not have purposely been AT the backboard, but throwing it wasn't an accident & there should be consequences to it.

See, I think of my 9 year old as mature enough to not need blanket rules like "we don't throw sticks" and to be able to make choices like -- yes, you can play javelin and throw that stick into the woods, no you can't throw it at the little kid who is annoying you. Given that it would never occur to me that a backboard could break, especially given that a 13 year old using it for target practice wouldn't be likely to get it going at much speed that far off the ground, I would consider it a reasonable target.

[kolleen9]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

Personally, I would replace the plexiglass backboard with a wooded one.

:

[Juvysen]

I'd call the company. It seems unreasonable that it broke so easily. Most companies will replace things like that.