diff --git a/components/Layouts/BackgroundLayout.js b/components/Layouts/BackgroundLayout.js
index 7d4431e..5da50a9 100644
--- a/components/Layouts/BackgroundLayout.js
+++ b/components/Layouts/BackgroundLayout.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 export default function BackgroundLayout({ children }) {
   return (
-    <div id="bg">
+    <div id="bg" className="text-white w-screen h-screen">
       {children}
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/pages/teams/[teamid].tsx b/pages/teams/[teamid].tsx
index 8053291..7da697f 100644
--- a/pages/teams/[teamid].tsx
+++ b/pages/teams/[teamid].tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,88 @@
+import { GetServerSidePropsContext, GetServerSidePropsResult } from 'next'
 import { useRouter } from 'next/router'
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import BackgroundLayout from '../../components/Layouts/BackgroundLayout'
+import { useAuth } from '../../contexts/authContext'
+import { Team } from '../../models/team'
+import { TeamMemberStatus } from '../../models/teamMember'
+import TeamService from '../../services/teamService'
 
-export default function Team() {
+const teamService = new TeamService()
+
+export default function TeamDashboard() {
+  const { currUser } = useAuth()
   const router = useRouter()
   const { teamid } = router.query
 
-  // check if the team is a valid team route and show the dashboard for the team
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState<Boolean>(true)
+  const [team, setTeam] = useState<Team>(null)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    (async function() {
+      try {
+        // if not authenticated, take user to the login
+        if (!currUser) {
+          console.log('not authenticated...routing from dashboard to teams home')
+          router.push('/teams/login')
+          return
+        }
+
+        // check if the team is a valid team and that user is in it
+        if (typeof teamid === "string") {
+          const returnedTeam = await teamService.getTeam(teamid)
+          const returnedTeamMember = await teamService.getTeamMember(teamid, currUser.uid)
+
+          console.log(returnedTeam)
+          console.log(returnedTeamMember)
+
+          // if there is no such team OR
+          //   if you are not a member of this team, then get out of here
+          if (!returnedTeam || !returnedTeamMember || returnedTeamMember.status == TeamMemberStatus.deleted) {
+            console.log('no team exists, or am not activated in it')
+            // router.push('/teams')
+            return
+          }
+
+          // if I am new to the team but I was invited, and this is my first time, then activate me into the team
+          // and proceed with showing the dashboard stuff
+
+        } else {
+          console.log('not a proper query with teamid')
+          router.push('/teams')
+          return
+        }
+      } catch(error) {
+        console.log(error)
+        router.push('/teams/login')
+      }
+
+      setLoading(false)
+    })();
+  }, [])
+
+  if (loading) {
+    return (
+      <div>loading</div> 
+    )
+  }
 
   return (
-    <span>the team is {teamid}</span>
+    <BackgroundLayout>
+      the team is {teamid}
+      
+    
+    </BackgroundLayout>
   )
+}
+
+export async function getServerSideProps(context: GetServerSidePropsContext) {
+  // basic check if this team exists
+
+  // todo check if authenticated
+
+  // todo check if this user is in this team
+
+  return {
+    props: {},
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pages/teams/create.tsx b/pages/teams/create.tsx
index 5351385..f885286 100644
--- a/pages/teams/create.tsx
+++ b/pages/teams/create.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export default function CreateTeam() {
         // if not authenticated, take user to the login
         if (!currUser) {
           console.log('not authenticated...routing from dashboard to teams home')
-          // router.push('/teams/login')
+          router.push('/teams/login')
         }
 
         // todo if user is in a team already, notify them to make sure
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ export default function CreateTeam() {
         console.log(error)
         router.push('/teams/login')
       }
-    })();
 
-    setLoading(false)
+      setLoading(false)
+    })();
   }, [])
 
   async function handleSubmit(e) {
diff --git a/services/teamService.tsx b/services/teamService.tsx
index ec7df5a..d8b58e8 100644
--- a/services/teamService.tsx
+++ b/services/teamService.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { addDoc, collection, doc, DocumentReference, Firestore, getFirestore, serverTimestamp } from 'firebase/firestore'
+import { addDoc, collection, doc, DocumentReference, Firestore, getDoc, getDocs, getFirestore, orderBy, query, serverTimestamp, where } from 'firebase/firestore'
 import { Team } from '../models/team'
 import { TeamMember, TeamMemberRole, TeamMemberStatus } from '../models/teamMember'
 import { Collections } from './collections'
@@ -30,4 +30,46 @@ export default class TeamService implements IService {
 
     return teamDocRef.id
   }
+
+  async getTeam(teamId: string): Promise<Team | null> {
+    const docRef = doc(this.db, Collections.teams, teamId);
+    const docSnap = await getDoc(docRef);
+
+    if (docSnap.exists()) {
+      console.log('got team data')
+      let team: Team = docSnap.data() as Team
+      return team
+    } else {
+      // doc.data() will be undefined in this case
+      console.log("team not found!");
+      
+      return null
+    }
+  }
+  
+  async getTeamMember(teamId: string, userId: string): Promise<TeamMember | null> {
+    const q = query(
+      collection(this.db, Collections.teamMembers), 
+      where("teamId", "==", teamId),
+      where("userId", "==", userId)
+    )
+    
+    const querySnapshot = await getDocs(q);
+    
+    if (querySnapshot.size > 1) {
+      console.log('there are multiple teammembers for this user...error in teamservice')
+    }
+
+    console.log(querySnapshot)
+
+    var teamMember: TeamMember | null = null
+    querySnapshot.forEach((doc) => {
+      // doc.data() is never undefined for query doc snapshots
+      // get the first one and just return...shouldn't be more
+      console.log('got teammember data')
+      teamMember = doc.data() as TeamMember
+    });
+
+    return teamMember
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file