The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1921-12-30
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BASKET BALL
Secy. D. M. Spence Played In
The Game When 1t Was
In Its Infancy
WAS CLASSMATE OF
INVENTOR OF GAME
Banners Sport Writer Inter-
views Secy. Spence On
Games Early History
(By Fred Hayes)

was still to be heard Of. Yet today
this game ranks among the "big
three" of sports. It's competitors,
baseball and football, are the only
sports that can claim more general
interest and popularity.
Unlike baseball and football, which
are off-shoots Of games of foreign or
igin, basketball is purely an Ameri-
can product, devised by an American,
and first played by Americans in an
American school.
Thirty years ago this winter mark
ed the birth of basketball. The In
ternational Y. M. c. A. Training
school at Springfield, Mass, now
known as Springfield Y. M. c. A. col
lege, was the birthplace of basketball
James Naismith, a student at Spring
field in 1892, was its inventor Secre-
tary d. M. Spence of the local Y. NJ
G. A. was a student and classmate
of MIR. Naismith in '92, as well as a
participant in basketball games when
the sport was in its infancy.
Fulfiiis A Demand
According to Secretary Spence,
Naismith's motive for originating
such game, was because of the great
need felt at that time in gym work
for recreative games to collaborate
with gymnastic and apparatus work.
The familiar adage, "All work and
no play makes Jack dull boy" was
found to apply equally as much to
physical class work as to other pur-
suits. Gymnasium classes did not
have the appeal then, because of the
fact that they were lacking in play
and offered little recreation. Some
thing was needed that would develop
and exercise the muscles and still be
regarded as play for those who took
part. In originating basketball, Mr..
Naismith did much toward fulfilling
this want, besides creating game
that was destined to take it's place
in the forerank of sports.
Game Crude At First
Basketball at beginning, as describ-
ed by Mr.. Spence, was crude and sim
pie. There was little or no science
to the game as played at, first. The
scrambling type Of play was resorted
to, and teamwork was a minus quail
ty. Then nine instead of five players
composed full team. This included
three forwards, three centers, and
three guards. One Of the three CEN
ters served as the tip,off man, while
the other two played opposite the
jumping center at the sides. 1t was
more difficult to cage the ball as the
baskets were three inches shorter in
diameter than they are now. To
pile up Is or 18 points was consider
ed good run. When the ball was
goaled pull on a chain suspended
from the basket released the ball from
mechanical device that held it in
after it had passed through the hoop.
To relieve the congestion on the
floor the number of players on team
was later reduced to seven men and
final y cut to five players This clim.
ination of players did much to devel-
op password, and the game as a
whole. One of the first regular games
Of basketball ever played was, an en-
gagement between Springfield college
and team organized at Hartford,
Conn. Strange as it may seem, Mai
smith who played in contests at the
school and who made the rules, was
the most frequent violator of his own
playing decorum.
Basketball Makes Great Strides
The growth and development of
basketball has been nothing short of
phenomenal. when compared with the
age and progress made by some of
the much older sports. Today it is
played by hundreds of thousands in