James Naismith: the Instructor Who Invented Basketball Share By Mary Bellis Dr. James Naismith was the Canadian-born physical education instructor who, inspired by a teaching assignment and his own childhood, invented basketball in 1891. Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario and educated at McGill University and Presbyterian College in Montreal. He was the physical education teacher at McGill University (1887 to 1890) and moved to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1890 to work at the Y.M.C.A. International Training School, which later became Springfield College. Under the direction of American physical-education specialist Luther Halsey Gulick, Naismith was given 14 days to create an indoor game that would provide an "athletic distraction" for a rowdy class through the brutal New England winter. His solution to the problem has become one of the most popular sports in the world, and a multi-billion dollar business. Struggling to develop a game that would work on wooden floors in an enclosed space, Naismith studied sports like American football, soccer, and lacrosse with little success.

continue reading below our video Profile of James Naismith Then he remembered a game he played as a child called "Duck on the Rock" that required players to knock a “duck” off a large boulder by throwing rocks at it. "With this game in mind, I thought that if the goal was horizontal instead of vertical, the players would be compelled to throw the ball in an arc; and force, which made for roughness, would be of no value. A horizontal goal, then, was what I was looking for, and I pictured it in my mind," he said. Naismith called the game Basketball—a nod to the fact that two peach baskets, hung ten feet up in the air, provided the goals. The instructor then wrote up 13 Rules. The first formal rules were devised in 1892. Initially, players dribbled a soccer ball up and down a court of unspecified dimensions. Points were earned by landing the ball in a peach basket. Iron hoops and a hammock-style basket were introduced in 1893. Another decade passed, however, before the innovation of open-ended nets put an end to the practice of manually retrieving the ball from the basket each time a goal was scored. Dr.

Naismith, who became a medical doctor in 1898, was subsequently hired by the University of Kansas that same year. He went on to establish one of collegiate basketball’s most storied programs and served as the Athletic Director and faculty member at the university for nearly 40 years, retiring in 1937. In 1959, James Naismith was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.) James Naismith Biography and the History of Basketball By Mary Bellis Updated September 06, 2016. In December 1891, Canadian-born James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) training school, took a soccer ball and a peach basket into the gym and invented basketball. In 1893, James Naismith replaced the peach basket with iron hoops and a hammock-style basket. Ten years later came the open-ended nets of today. Before that, you had to retrieve your ball from the basket every time you scored.

James Naismith - Background James Naismith was born in Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario, Canada and attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. After serving as McGill's athletic director, Naismith moved on to work at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. The game of basketball was inspired by a children's game Naismith knew called duck-on-a-rock, in which players throw a small rock at a "duck" placed on top of a large rock in an attempt to knock the "duck" off. While at Springfield, Naismith invented basketball as a sport to play indoors during the cold Massachusetts winters. continue reading below our video Profile of James Naismith The first game of basketball was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets used as goals. After changing the peach baskets for open hoop nets, Naismith soon wrote 13 official rules for the game. He also founded the University of Kansas basketball program. First College Basketball Game The first ever college basketball game was played on January 18, 1896, when the University of Iowa invited student athletes from the new University of Chicago for an experimental game.

Final score: Chicago 15, Iowa 12, a bit different from the hundred-point scores of today. Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, as well as the birth of the National Invitation Tournament (1938) and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship (1939). In 1963, college games were first broadcast on national TV, but it wasn't until the 1980s that sports fans ranked basketball up there with football and baseball . Naismith Legacy The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, is named in his honor, and he was an inaugural inductee in 1959. The National Collegiate Athletic Association rewards its top players and coaches annually with the Naismith Awards, among them the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Naismith College Coach of the Year and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

Naismith was also inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame, the Kansas State Sports Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame, and The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which was named in his honor. Naismith's hometown of Almonte, Ontario, hosts an annual 3-on-3 tournament for all ages and skill levels in his honor. Every year this event attracts hundreds of participants and involves over 20 half-court games along the main street of the town. Basketball | James Naismith History The Origin of the Game of Basketball 1891 - Springfield, Massachusetts, USA One of the most popular sports in the world, played daily by millions of people had humble beginnings. Basket Ball (as originally spelled); created in 1891 in a Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA gymnasium has grown into a game played worldwide by more than 300 million people. The person responsible for the popular game was Dr. James Naismith (1861-1939). Dr.

Naismith was a Canadian-American Physical Education teacher at the School for Christian Workers located in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1891, under direction from Dr. Luther Gulick, the head of the School, Naismith was given 14 days to create an indoor game. The goal of this directive was to provide a creative and healthy indoor “athletic distraction” for a rowdy class of students during the brutal New England winter. James Naismith Naismith’s invention did not happen quickly. He struggled to come up with a game that met the objectives of his directive. At first he thought to bring outdoor games such as soccer or lacrosse inside. However, such outdoor games were not feasible due mainly to the small indoor space of the school gymnasium. Running out of time and at the limits of his patience, Naismith recalled a game he played as a child in Canada. Called “duck on a rock”, the game involved tossing rocks at another, larger rock atop a boulder and knocking the rock down. He also remembered observing rugby players throwing a ball into a box in the gymnasium.

With creativity now flowing through his mind, Naismith had the idea of attaching boxes high on the wall and having players attempt to throw a ball into the box as a score. Having trouble finding boxes, Naismith used discarded peach baskets from the school cafeteria. Confronted with the problem of constantly needing someone to remove the ball from the basket, Naismith cut out the bottom of the basket, allowing the ball to fall through. It is believed that Naismith drew up the rules of his new game of Basketball in about an hour. Most of these rules still apply today. The game of Basketball became an instant success. The students found the game easy to play and the rules easy to understand. Moreover, the idea of getting a good exercise workout without having to go outside in the very cold winter was very attractive to the players and the coaches. The fans also liked the idea of not having to go outside in the cold to watch this new and fun game. Basketball became popular very quickly and its popularity spread widely. The graduates of the YMCA school traveled across the country and introduced their new game to people in towns and cities across the land.

Naismith and his players disseminated the rules of Basketball freely and the need for an indoor sport by many schools and organizations helped spread the popularity of the game. As Basketball grew in popularity, Naismith did not engage in promotion of the game or push for publicity or self-promotion. His main interest was his career as a physical educator. He embraced recreational sports but was not enamored with the glory of competitive athletics. Naismith was a serious student and he was most proud to have earned four degrees in diverse fields of Religion, Physical Education, Philosophy and Medicine. Naismith never imagined or witnessed the immense popularity and huge financials of Basketball as we know it today. His biggest reward was when he was sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to witness his game of Basketball become an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Games held in Berlin. Naismith never earned money or fame for his unique invention during his lifetime. However, after his death in 1939 his many accomplishments and his historic invention of Basketball were widely and enormously acclaimed. Naismith’s name adorns the world’s only Basketball Hall of Fame.

Naismith’s legacy includes coaching and launching the first great college Basketball coach, Forrest “Phog” Allen (1885-1974). Allen played for Naismith at the University of Kansas. Allen won 771 games as a coach at the University of Kansas. Many of Allen’s players became popular stars of the game. The most famous was Wilt Chamberlain, who became one of Basketball’s first superstars. During a game in 1962, Chamberlain scored a record 100 points. Professional Basketball In 1898 the first professional basketball league was formed. Players were paid $2.50 for playing home games and $1.25 for road games. In less than 100 years later, Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) star, Juwan Howard received offers from the Bullets and the Miami Heat for over $100 million for seven seasons. Basketball has grown tremendously and is now played in almost every country throughout the world by millions and millions of people. Dr. James Naismith most certainly would be proud to witness the current success of a simple game that he invented over 100 years ago.

The Original 13 Rules of Basket Ball, written by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. Note: Basketball was originally two words and these original rules were published in the Springfield College school newspaper, The Triangle, January 15, 1892. 1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. 2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist). 3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop. 4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it. 5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed. 6.

A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3, 4, and such as described in Rule 5. 7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul). 8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal. 9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side. 10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.

11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee. 12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between. 13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made. YMCA International - World Alliance of YMCAs: Basketball : a YMCA Invention Mr. and Mrs. Naismith Tackling, a popularcomponent of football, was a problem in Naismith's mind, he could see the carnage that would result indoors on wooden floors. "But why was tackling necessary," he reasoned, "It was because the men were allowed to run with the ball, and it was necessary to stop them.

With these facts in mind, I sat erect at my desk and said aloud: 'If he can't run with the ball, we don't have to tackle, and if we don't have to tackle, the roughness will be eliminated.' I can still recall how I snapped my fingers and shouted, 'I've got it!'He then concluded that a game must have an objective, and there must be some kind of goals, but he eliminated the goal used in soccer, lacrosse and hockey and turned instead to a game he played as a child called "Duck on the Rock." "With this game in mind, I thought that if the goal was horizontal instead of vertical, the players would be compelled to throw the ball in an arc; and force, which made for roughness, would be of no value. A horizontal goal, then, was what I was looking for, and I pictured it in my mind. I would place a box at either end of the floor, and each time the ball entered the box it would count as a goal. There was one thing, however, that I had overlooked.

If nine men formed a defense around the goal, it would be impossible for the ball to enter it; but if I placed the goal above the players' heads, this type of defense would be useless." He settled on a toss-up between two players as a way to start the game after considering several alternatives. Naismith was ready to try the new game with the class and set down on a scratch pad the first set of 13 rules in less than an hour. A stenographer typed them up. He asked the building superintendent to fetch two boxes about eighteen inches square. "No, I haven't any boxes," replied the superintendent, "but I'll tell you what I do have. I have two old peach baskets down in the store room, if they will do you any good." A few minutes later, baskets tucked under his arm and a few nails and a hammer in hand, Naismith tacked the baskets to the lower rail of the balcony, one at either end of the gym, posted the rules on the gym bulletin board and lay in waiting for his class of "incorrigibles." Naismith recalls, "The first member of the class to arrive was Frank Mahan.

he gazed at me for an instant, and then looked toward the other end of the gym. Perhaps I was nervous, because his exclamation sounded like a death knell as the said "Huh! another new game!"' There were eighteen men in the class and Naismith promised them that if this game proved to be a failure he would not try any more experiments on them. They went over the rules, divided the group into two teams of nine players each and tossed up the first basketball in history. The date was December 21, 1891. The first basketball team, consisting of nine players and their coach, on the steps of Springfield College Gymnasium in 1891. Back row: John G. Thompson, New Glasgow, N.S.; Eugene S. Libby, Redlands, Cal.; Edwin P. Ruggles, Milton, Mass.; William R. Chase, New Bedford, Mass.; T. Duncan Patton, Montreal, Que. Centre: Frank Mahan, Memphis, Tenn.; James Naismith, Almonte, Ont. Front row: F. G. Macdonald, Pictou, N.S.; Wm. H.

Davis, Holyoke, Mass.; Lyman W. Archibald, Truro, N.S. The game was a success from the first toss-up onward and word spread that Naismith's class was having fun. Within a few days the class attracted a gallery. Teachers from a nearby girls school watched the game and took it away with them to organize the first girls' basketball team. Frank Mahan suggested the game be given a name, and he and Naismith settled on "basketball". In those earlier days of the game it was reported as "an uproarious game accompanied by much yelling and undignified cheering". In that respect it has changed little through the ages. "When the first game had ended", says Naismith, "I felt that I could now go to Kr. Gulick and tell him that I had accomplished the two seemingly impossible tasks that he had assigned to me; namely, to interest the class in physical exercise and to invent a new game." Naismith continued to control the development of the game and its rules for five years. he left Springfield for Denver to become the physical education director for the YMCA in that city and to study for his medical doctorate.

On his graduation the University of Kansas was seeking an athletic coach and a director for their 650 seat chapel which students attended every morning. He was ideally prepared for the post and was recommended to the University as "..inventor of basketball, medical doctor, Presbyterian minister, teetotaler, all-round athlete, non-smoker, and owner of a vocabulary without cuss words." Dr. Naismith and his wife attended the Olympic Games in 1936 when basketball became one of the Olympic events. He died in 1939 at age 78 (Article taken from YMCA Canada Y Triangle : by Donald S. McCuaig) Basketball History: Dr. James Naismith, Basketball Inventor, Founder, KU Basketball: Kansas History Web Sites Kansas History Web Sites Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball KU Basketball Program Founder Dr. James Naismith is known world-wide as the inventor of basketball. He was born in 1861 in Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario, Canada.

The concept of basketball was born from Naismith's school days in the area where he played a simple child's game known as duck-on-a-rock outside his one-room schoolhouse. The game involved attempting to knock a "duck" off the top of a large rock by tossing another rock at it. Naismith went on to attend McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. After serving as McGill's Athletic Director, James Naismith moved on to the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in 1891, where the sport of basketball was born. In Springfield, Naismith was faced with the problem of finding a sport that was suitable for play inside during the Massachusetts winter for the students at the School for Christian Workers. Naismith wanted to create a game of skill for the students instead of one that relied solely on strength. He needed a game that could be played indoors in a relatively small space. The first game was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets used as goals. James Naismith devised a set of thirteen rules of basketball: The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.

A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed. The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it. No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5. If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul). Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.

When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee. The time shall be two 15-minute halves with five minutes' rest between. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.

In addition to the creation of the basketball, James Naismith graduated as a medical doctor, primarily interested in sports physiology and what we would today call sports science and as Presbyterian minister, with a keen interest in philosophy and clean living. Naismith watched his sport, basketball, introduced in many nations by the YMCA movement as early as 1893. Basketball was introduced at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Today basketball has grown to become one of the world's most popular sports. Site author: George Laughead Thanks to the late Lynn H. Nelson, author of HNSource , the first history site on the WWW. Return to the Kansas History Web Sites directory or to the Kansas Heritage Group or to WWW-VL: United States History . Site hosted by Native Voices International . Updated: 16 April 2014. Page copyright 2014, Kansas Heritage Group. THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Naismith invents basketball on Dec. 21, 1891 | Channels - McGill University McGill University THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Naismith invents basketball on Dec. 21, 1891 News MONTREAL -- McGill graduate Dr.

James Naismith introduced his invention -- the game of basketball -- on Dec. 21, 1891. Basketball, a game that started with 18 men at the School for Christian Workers (later the International YMCA Training School, now Springfield College) in Springfield, Mass., has grown into a game that more than 300 million people play worldwide. The man who created this instantly successful sport was Naismith, an inaugural inductee to the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Dr. Luther Gulick, head of physical education at the School for Christian Workers (later renamed Springfield College), asked Naismith to create an indoor game that would provide an "athletic distraction" for a rowdy class through the brutal New England winter. Naismith's invention didn't come easily. His first intention was to bring outdoor games indoors, namely, soccer and lacrosse. These games proved too physical and cumbersome. At his wits' end, Naismith recalled a childhood game, that he had referred to as "Duck on a Rock", that required players to use finesse and accuracy to become successful.

After brainstorming this new idea, Naismith developed the game of basketball and its 13 original rules. The first formal game was played on December 29, 1891. That day, he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court: 9-versus-9, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets. As basketball's popularity grew, Naismith neither sought publicity nor engaged in self-promotion. He was first and foremost a physical educator who embraced recreational sport but shied away from the glory of competitive athletics. Although he never had the opportunity to see the game become the spectacle it is today, Naismith's biggest thrill came when he was sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to participate in the ceremonial tip-off when basketball become an Olympic sport at the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. A native of Ramsay Township near Almonte, Ont., Naismith was born on Nov. 16, 1861. Naismith was an intense student, collecting 11 academic degrees from the diverse fields of philosophy, religion, physical education and medicine.

He competed in rugby-football, soccer and gymnastics at McGill University and graduated in 1887, among the top 10 in his class with a B.A. Honours in philosophy and Hebrew. Only 160 pounds, legends quickly grew on campus about his strength and agility. As a McGill sophomore in 1884-85, he volunteered to play centre in practice one day for an injured rugby-football player. Despite having never played before, he became an instant starter on the team and did not miss a game over the next three years. In 1885-86 he won the Wicksteed silver medal as the gymnastics champion of the junior class at McGill. In his graduating year, he won the prestigious Wicksteed gold medal as the top athlete in the senior class. He later taught physical education and became McGill's first full-time instructor of athletics before accepting a position at the YMCA College in Springfield, Mass., where he devised the rules to basketball. He also served as a Presbyterian minister. "He had a remarkable career - a career the likes of which probably no other Canadian ever has had," said former classmate Rev. W.D. Reid in 1939.

Although Naismith became famous for his invention of a new sport, that stroke of genius never brought him fame or fortune during his lifetime, but he did attain enormous recognition following his death in Lawrence, Kansas on Nov. 28, 1939. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was opened to the piblic in 1968 at Springfield, Mass., a tribute that forever makes James Naismith synonymous with basketball. The original 13 Rules of Basketball (written by James Naismith, Dec. 21, 1891) 1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. 2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist. 3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed. 4. The ball must be held by the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it. 5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent.

The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed. 6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5. 7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul). 8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do no touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal. 9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent.

If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them. 10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5. 11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee. 12. The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between. 13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner.

The Canadian who invented basketball - BBC News BBC News The Canadian who invented basketball By Sian Griffiths BBC News, Ottawa 20 September 2010 Close share panel Image caption James Naismith could not have envisaged the modern game When Dr James Naismith invented basketball in 1891, he couldn't have dreamed that the game would become the world's second most popular sport, played in more than 200 countries, and a multi-billion dollar industry. Now his Canadian hometown is set to honour him with a statue. The monument in the city where James Naismith invented basketball, in Springfield, Massachusetts, is the 40,000 sq ft Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In Canada, we seem to be understated as a nation in terms of our heroes Allen Rae, Dr James Naismith Basketball Foundation The museum in his hometown of Almonte, Ontario, is, well, rather more compact. A large boulder - the "Rock" - stands like an altar at the heart of the museum. It's a tribute to the inspiration for James Naismith's invention - "Duck on a Rock" - a game he played growing up.

Nine-year-old Warner Giles demonstrates the game by lobbing a rock in a familiar overhand arcing motion - knocking a stone, or "duck", off the boulder. This was the type of throw that brought the world basketball. Born in 1861, Dr Naismith's early life was marked by tragedy. His farmer parents died of typhoid, and he and his siblings were raised by an uncle who instilled in them the values of hard work, self reliance and determination. Athletic prowess A high school drop-out who worked as a lumberjack, Dr Naismith later embraced education with enthusiasm. He obtained a degree in physical education from Montreal's McGill University, a diploma in theology and - after moving to the US - qualified as a medical doctor. He demonstrated great athletic prowess as a star football player and gymnast while at McGill, rising to became the university's first director of athletics. He was even credited later, by some, with having invented the forerunner of the football helmet. Image caption The first basketball team made their bow in 1891 A deeply religious man, Dr Naismith believed that sport "could be used to lead young men to a good end".

In the winter of 1891 after moving to Springfield, Dr Naismith was faced with a challenging class of "incorrigibles". This antagonistic group had to be kept fit indoors through a harsh New England winter. After failing to occupy the men with popular indoor sports of the day, he turned to "duck on the rock" for inspiration. Instead of a rock, the players would throw a soccer ball at two peach baskets nailed high up at each end of the gymnasium. The janitor later punched holes in the bottom of the baskets after he became tired of climbing up to retrieve balls. The first game - comprising two teams of nine - took place on 21 December 1891. The final score was 1-0. As Dr Naismith later recalled: "It was the start of the first basketball game and the finish of trouble with that class." Olympic moment From there, the game grew. There were suggestions that the new game be called "Naismith ball" - but the modest inventor settled on "basketball" instead. Dr Naismith lived just long enough to see basketball introduced as a new sport at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

He died in 1939. Image caption Dr James Naismith's hometown recognises his genius But basketball aficionados might accuse Almonte of hiding its light under a bushel. "We should be shouting it from the rooftops," says Stephanie Kolsters, curator of the Naismith Museum. The museum is funded by the Dr James Naismith Basketball Foundation. President Allen Rae, a referee during several Olympic basketball games, thinks the low-key remembrance might be characteristically Canadian. "In Canada, we seem to be understated as a nation in terms of our heroes," says Mr Rae. Even now Almonte is honouring Naismith "big in a small way", according to Al Lunney, the mayor of Mississippi Mills, which today includes Almonte. "It's long overdue," admits the mayor. A larger-than-life bronze statue depicting Naismith with a ball and a peach basket will soon be dedicated in the town square. Special VIP Kansas Sculptor Eldon Teft produced three identical versions from the same mould - one for Almonte, one for Springfield and one for Kansas, where Dr Naismith coached the University of Kansas basketball team.

While organisers planto invite Dr Naismith's descendants, as well as the Canadian prime minister, to the dedication, Mr Rae has his eyes on a special VIP. "We could invite President Obama, too," he says of the basketball-loving US leader. Mayor Lunney doubts that Almonte will become the new epicentre of basketball heritage. A large themed shrine is just not Almonte's style. He wants to "keep Almonte the way is: a nice quiet town where Naismith grew up". "It won't be like Springfield," says a doubtful Mayor Lunney. NETBALL ALBERTA | History Netball Alberta Contact History of Netball In 1891, not only did James Naismith, a 30-year-old Canadian immigrant to the USA, invent basketball, but he inadvertently aided in the invention of Netball. In 1895, Naismith sent a copy of his basketball rules to Clara Baer, a sports teacher in New Orleans. Baer interpreted Naismith's drawings to mean players could not leave certain areas of the court. In 1899, Clara’s mistake was ratified into the rules of women's basketball as zones.

Women's basketball was then taken to Britain where the original game was transformed into a passing, no dribbling game called “Netball”. In 1995, Netball became a “recognized” Olympic sport and in turn included at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and will be part of the 2010 Games in Delhi, India. Netball is not currently in the Olympics program; however, Netballers around the world are campaigning to have Netball introduced to the Olympic Games in 2012. The International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) is the sole, internationally recognized, governing body for Netball, affiliated with: the General Association of International Sports Federations; the International World Games Association; and the Association of Recognized Sports Federations, receiving funding from the International Olympic Committee. For more information about IFNA visit Today, Netball is not just a sport for many. It is a passion. Worldwide, Netball has become one of the biggest female-dominated team sports with over one million women and girls playing every week in the UK, and 20 million playing in 70 countries globally.

In addition, many schools throughout the world include Netball as part of its physical education curriculum, teaching children important skills like ball work, communication and teamwork. In Canada, Netball continues to gain interest and momentum every year. The Canadian Amateur Netball Association ( is a member of IFNA and the body responsible for training Canada’s top Netball athletes to participate in various international competitions. There are also four Provincial Netball Associations operating in Quebec, Ontario, BC and Alberta. BASKETBALL BASKETBALL James Naismith invented the game of Basketball. WHAT WAS IT USED FOR? It was used for a winter sport. James Naismith invented Basketball because they needed a sport to play indoors for the winter because it was too cold to play baseball or football outside. WHEN WAS IT INVENTED OR FIRST USED? It was first used in 1891 at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. WHAT WAS IT USED FOR? It was invented for a winter sport to play indoors during the winter when it was cold. HOW WAS THE EARLY GAME DIFFERENT FROM TODAY? It is different from now because when it was first invented it, they did not have three-point line and now they do.

TRIVIA Did you know that basketball was first played with two peach baskets on the top of a balcony? CONCLUSION I think basketball is the greatest invention ever because it changed what people play in the winter. Also it took a creative mind to invent basketball. It's also a sport that people can have fun with and make money while doing it. SOURCES

Question: What did James Naismith invent in 1891?
Answer: Basketball