Evening star., 1924-01-09

The development of the game here,
though, was not accomplished with
out considerable difficulty. When
first introduced it was more an in
door BRAND of foot ball than anything
else. Players were many, rules were
few and even the little equipment
necessary for contest lacking. But
! the athletes attacked the problem
vigorously and it was not long before
Washington was a prominent factor
/ in the game in this section.
| Basket ball was introduced to
Washington in 1892 by Maurice A.
Joyce. at that time physical director
! of Carroll Institute. He had read in
| a magazine of Naismith's invention
+. and soon began the organizati ton of
teams among his gymnasium classes.
Rules We're elastic then and changes
| frequent, but Joyce kept abreast of
! the times and more than any one
else put the sport on it's feet here.
Nine-Man Teams Then.
! The game as then played required
nine men on each side, three centers,
| three forwards and three backs. This
nine man team prevailed until 1895,
when team was reduced TO seven
! players. Two years later came the
change to five players, the number
now used for mems teams. The game
as it was played up to 1897 was sim
| ply harum -scarum scramble, with
| little or no teamwork.
Then each man played the ball
when and where he pleased and it
was not until the advent of the pro-
| fessional coach here, about 1900, that
basket ball was reduced to the scien-
| tific basis it now has. The paid
coaches in their early work in Wash
ington introduced signals, paid par
ticular attention to the passing game
and developed goal shooting to a
| high degree. Raised to something
nf fn1a
i basket ball has progressed wonder
! fully.
| Sport chroniclers of three decades
| ago apparently ignored the new rec
reation, Tor no records of early games
! here are to be found According to
/ most Of the old-timers in sports, the
J first interclub competition was held
| out of doors in 1892. 1t was a tilt
! between teams of Carroll Institute
/ and the Y. NJ. c. A, the latter COM
bination being under the guidance Of
! Physical Director Sims, and took
place on the old Y. NJ. C. A. field at
| 18th and u streets.
First League Here in 1894.
This game was won by Carroll In
stitute and for year thereafter ath-
letes of that institution kept the
sport practically to themselves The
next season, however. teams were or
ganized by various military units of
tne CITY ana several CluDS look up
basket ball. 1t was not long before
Independent schedules were arranged
and from that it was but a step TO
organization of a city league in 1894
Among the members OF the first
basket ball team at Carroll Institute
were Joe DAILY, regarded as the hest
player of his time; Al Becker, Paul
Hughes, John Pearson, Cornelius
Shea, Joe Berberich, Carl Mess, 3. F.
Saul and John Murphy. These ath-
letes took part in a number of on
gaGements with independent clubs
before entering the city league and
generally finished with the better
part of the score.
They We're called upon to play un-
der all conditions in those days. Bas-
ket ball paraphernalia as we have it
was unknown. Upturned chairs fast
| ened to court walls We're used for
goals and a ball much smaller than
| the present one tossed about. Every
| one was anxious to take the measure
| of the CAROLS. for beating such a
| team meant high ranking in the
| game in the District, SO challenges
were received from many aggrega-
| tions miscalled teams. for contests.
Fate of Columbia A. c.
Old Carroll players we'll recall one
of these engagements. 1t was with
| Columbia Athletic Club, once Wash
| ington's greatest athletic organiza-
| ton. In the early ninetieS, Columbia
| boasted of a remarkable foot ball
| team, filled with weighty men, and