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It’s a beautiful and chilling morning. I just got back home after dropping my daughter at school. I’m now sitting on the deck of my backyard while writing this post.
I love playing many different kinds of sport. For instance, soccer, basketball, squash, swimming, ping pong, and skiing. I have started introducing some of them to my kids as I firmly believe our children should develop good exercising habits at the early age. The next sport I would like to explore with my daughters would be volleyball.
There are two ways to set up a volleyball net in a backyard. You could either purchase a complete volleyball set online or DIY in making one with old tires, poles, and cement.
I will share my finding and thoughts on both options. Hopefully, you will find it interesting and useful.
Interesting Things in this Post
Buy a Complete Volleyball Net Set for Young Children
If your child is under eight years old and just starting to play volleyball casually, then I would suggest purchasing a simple but complete net set. It would include all the required parts such as the net, poles, and a carrying case.
You should choose one that is:
- Easy to install. Many sets do not require any tools or stakes to assemble. In fact, some sets do not need to be anchored to the ground. As their base already has horizontal legs to balance the entire unit
- Easy to take down and store. There are ones where the stands and net are foldable. You could easily store them in a carrying bag after each use.
- Adjustable height. I have seen one where you could adjust the height to as low as 2.8 feet, and as tall as 5 feet. This is important as a child would grow over time.
- Pick a net size where your yard could fit. A child volleyball net typically ranges from 10 feet to 17 feet in length.
- A good child’s volleyball set shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to assemble or disassemble.
- They should be relatively inexpensive too. The last one I have is cost around $50. Here’s one that I like, you could check out the details here.
5 Easy Steps to DIY Set Up a Concrete Volleyball Set with Tires
If you have big kids, then having a child’s volleyball set probably will not fulfill them. A simple spike of the volleyball to the stand could easily knock off the entire unit.
Therefore, you will either need to purchase a set where it would anchor to the ground or build one that is more secure. I came across an interesting blog, Howdy Ya Dewit,[1]http://howdyyadewit.blogspot.com/2011/10/building-tire-and-concrete-movable.html#.W5Fl5LgpDVh, where the blogger shared an interesting method to create a volleyball net set with old tires.
Combining with other resources I learned from, here are 5 simple steps to DIY set up a volleyball set:
The things you’ll need:
- Two old tires
- Two metal poles at least 8 feet tall
- Six bags of concrete
- Six Eyebolts
- Volleyball net
- Two pieces of recycled cardboard
- Drill
- Marker
- Measuring tape
- Shovel or bucket
- Wheelbarrow
- Ropes
Step 1: Mark the Drilling holes
There are two things you need to find out first. How tall you want the net to be and its width. Once you know these figures, you could mark them with a marker on the metal poles.
Although you could eyeball in marking them, using a measuring tape would be more accurate. The last thing you want is having an uneven height of the net.
Step 2: Install the Eyebolts
Predrill three holes onto the marked spots of the poles. Install three eye bolts into the holes, but make sure they are on the same side.
Also, the eye bolts must be longer than the diameter of the poles.
Step 3: Fill up the Tire with Mixed Concrete
Mix the bags of concrete with the right portion of water in a wheelbarrow. Before you pour it, place used cardboards underneath the tires. It will prevent the concrete solution from sticking to the ground.
Place a pole into the center of the tire, then pour the concrete solution around it. At this point, you would need another adult help in doing so. For easier control, I would pour the wet concrete with a bucket or shovel, and not directly from a wheelbarrow.
The number of concrete bags requires would depend on how large are the tires. I just watched a clip of a teenage girl doing so. She stated it took her 130 lbs of concrete to fill up one tire. She also did a very good job in the demonstration!
Step 4: Secure the Pole
To ensure the pole would stand up straight in the center of the tire, you could tie it to the limb of trees when waiting for the cement to dry. Just let it sit there for a day or two, it should be dry by then.
Repeat the same process for the other tire.
Step 5: Install the Net
The last step would be to put up the net. One nice thing about this tie poles is they are movable. So when you are in a situation where you constantly have to re-shorten the ropes to tighten the net, you could simply move the tires further apart from each other.
Safety Precaution about Concrete Tire Volleyball Set
I personally find the concept to DIY the volleyball set with tires is fascinating. They are a lot cheaper to setup versus buying a professional set. It will not leave a hole on the ground. Also, it is straightforward to take down, and I don’t have any concern about leaving the tire of poles outdoors.
However, as safety always comes first, I would like to friendly remind you with some precaution.
- Choose an area that is far from windows or safe from other obstacles.
- Always place the tire poles on a flat surface.
- Make sure that there is no wire sticking out of the tire.
- Metal poles you select must be sturdy, and cannot easily bend or floppy.
- Instruct a child not to climb or lean on it as there could be a hazard of tipping over. Always supervise the kids while they are playing.
- Do not play in a windy condition.
- Once your child finishes playing, you could remove the net and tip the poles over. Since the tire poles with the cement are heavy, you might need help from another adult.
- Despite rolling the tire poles to your desired location is easy, make sure to watch your feet while doing so. It hurts a lot if you roll over them.
- Check with your insurance agent as some home insurance policies might not cover this.
Final Thought about Set Up Volleyball in the Yard
Even though the DIY option is very appealing to me, my daughters are too young to play on it. So I will go with buying a child’s volleyball set instead.
Some users are very serious about making a perfect volleyball court, so they filled it with sand. This definitely would require a lot of sand, and also a tremendous amount of work to maintain it. Since my family and I are just playing it casually, I would just set it up on grass, while mowing the lawn as needed.
I can already foresee how much my family will enjoy it. Not only we could play volleyball with it, but it could also be used for badminton and soccer tennis. I love that it is portable, easy to setup and disassemble. The next time my wife is bringing the kids to watch their daddy’s playing soccer, this should keep them occupied on the side. Now it’s time to play!
Disclaimer: This content of this website is for general information, and do not intend to provide any specific advice. Although I’m trying my best in providing accurate information, I cannot guarantee they are error-free. Information displayed on this website could be subjected to change. For any medical-related question, you should always consult with your family doctor. For product related question, you should consult with the actual manufacturer.
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Jacob is a father of two daughters. He loves spending quality time with them in the backyard. Playing sports, blowing bubbles, and planting are some the favorite activities Jacob and his daughters like to do together. He believes it is essential to spend quality time with them while they are still young.