Day 20 of the Basketball 2.6 Challenge: it’s mine – or the hoop gets it.

Unfortunately, through all the euphoria of smashing targets left right and centre, what’s getting forgotten in all this is the effect on the hoop.  The net gave up the ghost a long time ago and is pale imitation of what a basketball net should be like:  a hint of web, a trace of original function and fading memories of the joyful ‘whoosh’ sounds is all it has now.  Its misery is palpable.

The hoop on the other hand has been a bit more resilient but all those near misses, the thwack of the ball against the backboard, the pinging off the rim, the rattle of reluctant metal struggling with a spinning basketball; all these things are taking their toll on the poor old hoop.

If it makes it until Day 26 of the Challenge we shall be surprised and not a little relieved.  All it needs is for someone from the RSPCH  (the Royal Society of Protection against Cruelty to Hoops) to turn up and place an embargo on the whole proceedings, confiscating ball, hoop, net and soggy trainers to boot.  With some gentle pleading and some prayers to the God of Gravity to be lenient with the forces of nature, we should make it through but I’m not holding my breath.

In the meantime though, three rounds of 26 beckons…

Day	Attempts	Near Misses	Baskets	Effort (Baskets/ Attempt)	Baskets/ Minute (BPM)	FeelGood Factor	Total time	Total Shots	Total Baskets	Success rate
1	N/A	0	8	N/A	0.308	N/A	26		8
2	194	0	15	7.73%	0.577	N/A	52	194	23
3	189	87	2	1.06%	0.077	46.03%	78	383	25	6.5%
4	190	107	7	3.68%	0.269	56.32%	104	573	32	5.6%
5	192	105	11	5.73%	0.423	54.69%	130	765	43	5.6%
6	167	108	6	3.59%	0.231	64.67%	156	932	49	5.3%
7	174	114	14	8.05%	0.538	65.52%	182	1,106	63	5.7%
9	180	108	16	8.89%	0.615	60.00%	234	1,286	63	4.9%
10	166	118	18	10.84%	0.692	71.08%	260	1,452	79	5.4%
11	181	121	20	11.05%	0.769	66.85%	286	1,633	97	5.9%
12	176	115	24	13.64%	0.923	65.34%	312	1,809	117	6.5%
13	179	111	24	13.41%	0.923	62.01%	338	1,988	141	7.1%
14	176	125	19	10.80%	0.731	71.02%	364	2,164	160	7.4%
15	167	101	32	19.16%	1.231	60.48%	390	2,331	192	8.2%
16	147	90	35	23.81%	1.346	61.22%	416	2,478	227	9.2%
17	154	102	37	24.03%	1.423	66.23%	442	2,632	264	10.0%
18	170	94	48	28.24%	1.846	55.29%	468	2,802	312	11.1%
19	167	84	54	32.34%	2.077	50.30%	494	2,969	366	12.3%
20	157	74	70	44.59%	2.692	47.13%	520	3,126	436	13.9%

You can find out why I’m taking the 2.6 Basketball Challenge here  Any help you can offer is much appreciated!.