Steve K writes:
I bought my young son an outdoor basketball hoop, the kind where you
fill the base with water.

Well, winter is coming and my gut feeling tells me to empty the water so
it doesn't freeze and expand, possibly breaking the plastic base.
Without water in it, the stake that holds it to the ground just doesn't
seem good enough to keep it from falling over and seriously hurting
someone. I really have no where to lay it down. I'd rather it stay where
it is. I don't really want to put sand in it.

Any thoughts? Is it okay to just leave the water in it during
winter?

It's a worthy thing to worry about. I'd be inclined to cruise to the
manufacturer's web site and look around for a FAQ or a customer
service phone number. It has to be a pretty common question ya'd
think.

I was interested enough to search on it and found this:

"The best option to fill your portable basketball goal is with
non-toxic antifreeze, which is recommended to protect pets and the
environment. Antifreeze will keep the base from cracking from frozen
water in the winter and also keep the bacteria to a minimum in the
summer heat."

From:
http://www.atlantahoops.com/portable...all_goals.html

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/