Evening star., 1909-08-22
ORIGIN OF GAME
OF BASKET BALL
DR.. James Naismith Invented
II While instructor at
Training School.

1t is peculiarly fitting that the new
ball rules committee should he Dr.
James Naisnith. the man who original
ed the game almost twenty years ago
He is now physical director at Kansas
University and was elected to the rules
committee when attending a meeting As
the delegate OF Kansas. In the early
nineties DIR. Naismith was in charge
Of the gymnasium work at the Spring
field Training School. in Springfield,
Mass. The work in the wintertime con-
sisted OF mass drills and set exercises
very beneficial, but monotonous and
tiresome. The students took no inter
est In the work, shirked and were on
the verge OF strike.
DR.. Naismith realized that if he could
only make the students take an inter
est In the work there would be no more
trouble. He thought the way to do
this was to arouse the spirit OF COM
petition among them, and, accordingly,
In the winter Of 1892 set about devising
an indoor game to take the place of
the mOnOtOnOua mass drills. He had
always been an admirer of the game Of
lacrosse and used this a foundation.
He first of all eliminated the sticks and
reduced the size Of the goal, making
the players pass and forbidding run
ming as In lacrosse. This proved un-
satisfactory. for when big fellow
stood in front of the small goal it was
impossible to score.
DR.. Naismith then made his first radi-
cal change. He raised the goal ten feet
possible for one big fellow to entirely
block it, and an old peach basket was
used. Soon 1t was thought to get a
large ball and a foot ball bladder was
tried. This proved too soft, so they
shifted over to an association foot ball.
and the present basket ball Is little
changed since then.
This scheme OF competition proved
immensely successful. and all trouble
about getting the students to exercise
ceased. They liked the game at once,
and soon they plunged into a series of
class games.
In 1899 the game was taken up for
similar purposes in many symnasiums
throughout New England In 1894 Yale
took it up, and since then it's spread
has been rapid. until today it ranks as
one Of the leading sports in schools.
colleges and athletic clubs throughout
this country. There have been some
changes as the game progressed. but
on the whole the rules today are almost
identical with those devised by DR.. Mai
smith back in 1892. Tile ball. the bas-
ket and the lacrosse rules against run
ming with the ball are still the basis
Of the game. and are pracucaIiy the
same nov as then.
A short time ago only one or two
persons knew the story of the origin
Of basket ball. Even the leaders in The
sport were ignorant of just where. when
and by whom II was started. Then DR..
Naismith attended the basket ball con-
ference i'll New York simply the
delegate OF Kansas University. One of
the few men who knew the story point
ed bim ont to the other delegates as the
man who originated the game. Dr.
Naismith modcstly admitted tho fact,
and in conversation gave the above de-
tails of the early history OF basket bali.
fIe mas followed the game closely and
has proved OF immense service on the
committee in formulating the rules for
the coming season.