Innovative netball and basketball kit made from scrap materials

A simple idea has turned into a practical solution after a community leader acted on his son’s invention of a homemade, mobile netball and basketball kit made from scrap materials.

The kit is easy to move, and affordable.

Keith Blake was impressed when he saw that the base of the kit was made from a car tyre with a rim, and a pole welded onto it.

“I told my son this will be a big hit and will keep girls and boys busy and off the streets,” he said.

Morne Blake said his daughter played netball, and he first put up a hoop for her. However, she wanted to play in the backyard and sometimes in front of the house.

“So, I thought I had to make something that could be moved around,” he said, adding that he found an old rim with a tyre and a pole, which he welded onto the rim, and then welded smaller metal pieces to the basket hoop.

Morne said that his father was very enthusiastic about the invention and asked him to create four kits to donate to the disadvantaged community.

“He said I must show them how to do it in a video, and then the community can make them themselves,” he said.

Mr Blake Snr said he called his friend Wayne Mealing, a scrapyard owner, who donated four metal poles and an additional four solid metal bars.

“My son, who has the suitable equipment at his workshop, will shape the metal poles into hoops. He also has the netting to cover the hoops. We are also getting tyres with rims as well,” he said, adding that the idea was to make four netball kits.

"I will ask another friend to donate netball/basketballs. When everything is ready, I will donate the four netball/basketball kits to the community. I will then make a video to share with the community to show them how it’s done and encourage them to make their own kits. This will keep our children busy, safe, and off the streets,” he said.