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Basketball and its Little Known Origin
by Everett Gilbreth
http://www.rusbasketball.com
Basketball was invented in 1891 by a man named
Dr. James Naismith. Naismith was born in Ramsay,
Ontario in 1861. He developed the concept for the
game of basketball from his school days, when he
played a children~s game that was known as ~duck
on a rock~. The goal of this children~s game was to
knock the ~duck~, which was placed on a larger
rock, by throwing smaller rocks at it. After a
childhood spent in Ramsay, Naismith attended
McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
It was here at McGill University that Naismith
became athletic director. In 1891 he left Canada for
Massachusetts. It was here in Springfield
Massachusetts that Naismith took a job at the
YMCA training school. During the long cold
winters Naismith wanted to come up with a game
that could be played indoors and in a small space.
Since many of the School of Christian workers were
not very strong, Naismith be wanted a game that
focused on skill rather than strength. After
considering these challenges, Naismith invented the
game of basketball.
Naismith had to be creative and so he used a soccer
ball and wooden peach baskets. Naismith also
worked on a set of rules and everyone could
understand and abide by. These rules were well
thought out and meant to avoid any arguments.
The rules that Naismith devised were very specific.
For instance one rule stated that a player could not
use his fist to hit the ball. Only one or two hands
could be used to throw the ball. Players were also
not allowed to run with the ball, and had to throw
the ball from a standing position.
Yet another rule of the game was that players could
not push, hold, trip, or shoulder another player. A
foul would result if any of these actions were
applied and if the player received two fouls he was
out of the game until another goal was made. This
rule ensured that players of the game played fairly
and without violence.
By 1892 the game of basketball had become so
popular that a formal set of rules were devised.
These rules were very similar to the ones that James
Naismith had come up with, but with a few minor
changes. Basketball is one of the most popular
sports and is played all over the world. People of
any skill level are able to take part which has helped
to make basketball so popular. Basketball continues
to be one of the most non-violent major sports
games that have fans all around the world cheering
on its players.
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