Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-04

A player in the first basketball
game ever played, captain of the first
world championship basketball team,
and the man who suggested the name
by which the sport has since been
known, was the late Frank Mahan,
father of Physical Director Hoyt H.
Mahan of the Augusta Y. NJ. C. A.
This developed in a talk recently with
Mr.. Mahan at which he told some-
thing of the, origin of the game.
DIR. Frank Naisn1ith. now Director
Of Physical Education at University
of Kansas" said Mr.. Mahan, was
the originator of the game while a
student at the Springfield Y. NJ. c. A.
college. In an interview with DR..
Naismith which was published in
1922, the inventor of the game gave
the elder Mahan a large measure of
credit for the success of the game.
In this interview he spoke of the
early form which the sport took and
of its name Indoor Rugby" One
day while DIR. Naismith and Mr.. Ma
han were talking Mr.. Mahan said,
Frank, the idea of the game is to
cage the ball in the basket, so why
don't you call it "basketball?"' That's
a good idea answered DR.. Naismith,
and from then on, the game has been
known as basketball
For Indoor Play
TN the early '90s, the only game
that was popular in the long season
between the close of football in the
fall and the beginning of baseball in
the spring, was hockey. DR.. Naismith,
While at Springfield college. conceived
the idea of having some sort of an in
6nnY, cSar1 h;oh L.
of interest to the spectators, but one
which would be thoroughly enjoyed
by the players themselves. AS he
thought the matter over the game
which was in the future to be known
as basketball, roughly took form in his
mind. A ball was needed and he used
a soccer ball as it was round and
could be easily handled. Goals must
be provided and two peach baskets
were secured from a nearby fruit
store and these were nailed to the
railing of the old running track in the
gymnasium.
"The idea Of the first game was
similar to football with the elimina-
ton of all tackling and as much
body contact as was possible. In it's
original form it was clearly a passing
anne as the dribble did not come in
existence until some years later
;radually rules were made governing
'ew conditions that arose during the
games, and in 1894 a series was held
1T Springfield College, which was the
first basketball series ever held in the
world.
Worlds Champions
My father, Frank Mahan, was cap
tain of one of the teams entered, and
hi I'll 4,
schedule without losing single
game it was credited with the cham
pionship of Springfield College Inas-
much as there were no basketball
teams outside of Springfield college,
they could rightfully claim the title
Of the first Worlds Championship
team, as we'll
1.-THE news of this new and inter-
esting game quickly spread to other
colleges and universities and was
soon found to be the popular indoor
game of the country. To the Y. M
=. AS throughout the country, large
portion OF the credit for the bringing
IF basketball to it's high standard /
must be given for in those early days |
t was the Y. M. C. AS that kept the |
game going and foresaw the great |
possibilities of the sport. They made !
manages mere and there and improved !
he game a great deal in the first few I
'ears. There was a period during !
he early part of the present century |
when interest in basketball seemed I
o wanes but after 1904 it rapidly adj
,anced until today no Y. NJ. C. A.,
Ugh school, college or university, has
IN adequate athletic program unless
basketball is included.
Ten Man an a Cidn
From the first game when ten men
the team, it was only
hort time until the team was cut to
even, as it was realized that 20 men
we're too many to have on the aver
ge size floor. Not long afterward,
he number was cut to five. by which
lumber it has since been played"
Physical Director Mahan is himself
veil versed in the game, having play
d much himself and having also act
d as referee of the game in many