Ball Games in my garden.

TELLIT01

What country are you in?  'Community Leader' isn't a term common in the UK.

Phil4432

Gaz43 said:

Hi All 
First time poster here looking for advice on a issue that’s only occurred this week. 

Last summer we installed a sports court in the back of our garden with the intention of providing a safe area for our 2 children (7 and 4) to play sport, games, ride scooters etc. We live on a very steep hill and the nearest park in a few miles away so outside play is limited to our garden, which thankfully is flat. 

Our kids favourite game is basketball and last summer we had no complaints at all from neighbours either side of our house while practicing dribbling and shooting. 

However, since schools closed and the national isolation is in place I take the kids outside twice a day to play basketball, football and general play. These session last about an hour to and hour and a half around 10am and again about 4pm. 

Last night we received an email from the local community leader calling us out complaining about the ball bouncing, stating it’s intrusive and he feels sorry for our neighbours and asking for other locals to get in contact so that he can go to the council to complain. 

Bearing in mind this gentleman doesn’t live next to us but about 5 houses up.
We replied privately to the email suggesting a private conversation, even though he has made the issue public in the first instance. 

But before this happens Is there any laws about ball games in garden and where do I stand in regards to allowing my kids to play in the safety of their own home boundaries I understand the noise of balls bouncing could be frustrating but it’s for a limited time and its in our own garden and with the times or 8am and 10pm. 

We feel a little trapped now and unable to enjoy our garden in the pleasant weather we have had recently. 

Any advice would massively helpful

Thanks in advance.   

Well, you are able to enjoy your garden but you do have to consider others.  They have to be stuck at home also, and its an uncertain time for everyone.  Look at it from their point of view, they're at home worried about the future and they can't open the window without a constant pounding. 

Unless you own a big piece of land, turning your garden into a sports court wasn't the best idea.  We all have to consider our neighbors before doing something like that.  Did you maybe ask others how they would feel about the additional noise?

Most people just take their children to the designated sports areas for this sort of activity.  Small UK gardens aren't great for long ball games, going on from spring to autumn.

I'm a martial artist, I generally keep my training indoors so as not to affect, or scare, the neighbors.  They may not appreciate a scary looking guy jumping around with weapons, in the garden next to them!  We have to consider others when we do something, that's living in neighborhoods. 

dogshome

It appears that  the 'Community Leader' is a vigilante looking for a cause, and has forgotten that communities include families with children - Ask your direct neighbors what their opinion is of this public Email.

SeaVixen

Given the OP hasn't posted again since, I'm sure this will fall of deaf ears, but:

Could you possibly switch to netball? Or some other sport that isn't as loud? Or vary the sports a bit?

Basketball was my favourite sport as a kid too, but even I remember that the ball bouncing makes a very specific noise, that can be very loud. When my brother was playing in our yard, I could hear it a few houses away on my way home from school. Two hours of this a day would be enough to drive anybody mad. And it sounds like it can be heard from 5 doors down, which is perfectly possible based on my experience. 

I agree with everyone saying that kids will be kids, but there's definitely a compromise to be found here... 

SameOldRoundabout

I agree with the posters saying mix it up! I have kids, and I don’t mind in the slightest hearing kids play. However, a repeatedly bouncing ball is my idea of a nightmare. SO annoying. I wouldn’t mind every week or so, but an hour twice a day of thud thud thud? I’d be voodoo dolling you OP. Let them out, but make them play football, or bubbles, or skipping, or water balloons. Not basketball. 

452

TELLIT01 said:

What country are you in?  'Community Leader' isn't a term common in the UK.

You're not very diverse are you?

Clive_Woody

TELLIT01 said:

What country are you in?  'Community Leader' isn't a term common in the UK.

"local busy body" is the more familiar UK terminology.