The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-27
Growth of Game in Alabama and the South Has Kept Stride Set by Eastern and Northern States
AVERAGE OF FIFTY TEAMS PRODUCED
 IN VARIOUS STATES
Over 100 Teams Now Play ing Under Organized Heads as Compared With Ten in 1906
By FRED BoDEKER

By FRED BODEKER
 The remarkable popularity of bas- ketball during the past 10 years has elevated the game to the position of one of the foremost in American sports The past decade has witnessed a seem ingly impossible growth in the basket game and even experts are puzzled over the problem.
 Basketball has proven itself to be one of the best sports in every way that help the American people to amuse themselves in the gymnasium. Basketball makes no uncertain de- mands on heart and lungs and on en- durance generally, Basketball is a game. That's all-only a game. It is not a combat nor battle nor a fight. as some people would term it. It is just game
 Authorities have often repeated the statement that basketball does more to form mans character than any other sport. The period of adolescence is the time when basketball and sim liar games are played and when life's habits are formed and the character largely determined. Politics is a game and so is almost any business, and the
  And so is basketball-it is game and one of the best.
 DEVELOPS THE BODY
 Basketball develops many parts of the human body. It develops alertness, self-control. skill, speed and brings ev- cry part of the body into action. The game arouses the interest and enthu- siasm of every spectator. The simplic- ity and small quantity of apparatus required, together with other chief qualifications of the game, make 1t one of the most valuable of our com petitive games.
 Basketball belongs to the large fam fly of games originated to amuse the American public. It was first started in 1891 pr. James A. Naismith, now a member of the collegiate basketball rules committed, was an instructor al the Springfield Y. M. c. A. Training school and undertook to devise an in door game which would develop man. kind. Basketball was at first very sim pie. Since then, however, the game has undergone complete revision; but pas- ketball lovers all over the nation owe to Dr. Naismith the honor of invent ing" the game.
 Since 1891 basketball has made mar velous strides. The game was adopted by colleges, high schools. athletic as- sociations in all parts of the country. The big eastern colleges first Tell In line and soon the movement spread to the south Leading southern colleges and institutions quickly adopted the game and by 1900 basketball was 2 game that was beginning to be played bv all important institutions.
 GROWTH IN 1906
 In 1906 the game began to grow even more popular. Athletic clubs in all parts of the south were producing teams ana fights were being staged for the .championships" Not only in the south was the game popular, but the middle west and the eastern states were Tar ahead. It Is roughly estimated that something over an average Of 50 teams were being produced in every state III the union or over 2400 teams were playing organized basketball 10 say nothing of the innumerable grammar schools and independent teams tna' numbered as many more
 put basketball did not stop its won aerful growth. The game has some un . seen power that attracted clubs col teges and schools to adopt IL. AS tne years passed the number playing the game increased and by !siV tne nun her playing in 1906. which was es- timated to have been over 240o, was estimated to have been doubled, or nearly 5000 teams. This does not m clude independent teams put only teams as high schools. athletic ciups' colleges and other educational institu- lions. o, the joint committee on pashetpaii rules. is quoted as saying that tne number of teams playing basketpali la 1910 was over 1000. This, however Is considered by many to be too large Considering that six men $ the aver age number of players on one team' over 42,000 men were playing III UT ganized basketball in 1910. In Alabama in 1906, the number o1 cams playing basketball was something Ike 10 or less. which included the. Bir- cingham Athletic club, BirmingnaH High school, Mobile, Montgomery, and a lew others. The effects of the growth over the nation took effect in Aiaoama and the number in 1910 jumped to nearly D teams. A few night schools were playing the game, being seriously handi- .apped by the lack of an Indoor court : while almost every athletic club and Y. M. c. A. in the state was represented by a team
 OVER 100 TEAMS
 In 1915, the beginning of the present eason which is about to come to a very successful close. the number playing 1T his state jumped to over 100. Over 60 .igh schools are playing basketball, with hmost 40 athletic clubs and other instl- utions of this kind. The game is played " every grammar school in the larger rities of the state, while countless teams. znorganized as iii the Y. M. c. A., and llass teams of various educational in- titutions, are following the same exam lie.
 Not only in Alabama but in all parts # the country is the game making apid strides toward the top of the iao- ter as an indoor sport. The number Slaying in the United States at the resent is estimated to go over 2o,ool cams which means that about 156.OOt Ieople are playing organized basketball H this number Alabama can boast Of lmost 100 players. which. although be- DIV majority of the states, Is well in he advanced list.
 And so 1t can be seen, Alabama with ractically every other state in the union fast taking to basketball, and expert rites who have watched its growth for he past decade predict no decline in ks power to attract the attention of he spcrt loving public.