BASKET WAS BORN HERE *4 front row (l-r) Finlay G. MacDonald, William H. Davis, Lyman W. Arc) How a restless class, a challenging supervisor, and an inventive instructor at a small school in Springfield, Mass., changed the world. BASKETBALL TIMELINE 1891 -"Basket ball" is invented (name of - Smith College becomes first women's to sport is two words until 1921). to play basket tall. throw Is introduced - First men's games played at Mmr be: o: players set at live on small CD- S a penalty fot a loul and is taken by any Sprhqlif-ld College using soccer balls number Mies on larger courts. •am member. and peach-basket goals. - Backboards, first used to keep balcony spectators from interfei JAMES NAISMITH'S ROAD TO SPRINGFIELD THE STORY OF HOW JAMES NAISMITH invented the game volunteered to take his place. "For seven years I played without of basketball tips off in the winter of 1891 at the school that missing a game and enjoyed the sport," Naismith later recalled. would later become Springfield College—when Naismith was Naismith would go on to play rugby, as well, and during one assigned to teach a gymnasium class of restless young students. rugby practice, as recounted in 20Q2's Big Game, Small World: But the story really starts long before Naismith came to A Basketball Adventure, by Alexander Wolff, one of Naismith's Springfield College, when he was a young boy growing up teammate's accidentally swore. '"Sorry, Jim,' he quickly added. in Sennie's Corners, in northern Ontario, Canada. The small 'Forgot you were here.'.. .The incident persuaded him that a town consisted of a few residences, a blacksmith shop, a righteous man could have an influence on the athletic field, schoolhouse, and a store. When they were not working at their which was regarded as a seedbed of ruffianism. He decided to chores, Naismith and his friends would climb the maple trees pass up the ministry to pursue the career in physical education behind the blacksmith shop, engage in contests of jumping, that would bring him to Springfield College" (p. 12). wrestling, and tug of war, swim in the Indian River, fish for pike, After he finished his studies at McGill, Naismith spent a and hunt partridges and hares. They also played a game called summer visiting YMCAs in the United States, and then arrived Duck on the Rock. at Springfield College. He asked to meet with the superinten­ In the cold months, when the river froze, the boys would dent of the physical department and waited patiently for Luther skate. Naismith, an orphan who lived with his uncle (his father Gulick to return to his office from teaching class. The two chat­ and mother had died when he was 8 years old), spent time ted briefly, and Gulick invited Naismith to attend his next class watching his friends. One evening he returned to the skating and observe his methods of teaching. That evening, the two area with homemade skates that he had cobbled together met again and discussed for hours "ideas that were of common from a pair of old files, which were set into place by strips of interest," Naismith said. He recalled that Gulick convinced him hickory wood. "of the importance of the work of a physical director." It was, perhaps, his first invention. "Later," Naismith said, "I was to find that he was one of the It would not be his last. few men whose teachings have remained with me and have been a help not only in my profession but in my life as well." IN THE FALL OF 1883, Naismith went to McGill University in Montreal to study for the ministry. He was dutiful to his studies Naismith's recollections about the invention of basketball have and often stayed in his room. One night, two juniors paid him provided a valuable resource for BdskexbaW Was Born Here. a visit. "Naismith," said one, "we have been watching you for The quotations used in this booklet are taken from Basketball: sometime, and we see that you never take part in any of the Its Origin and Development, by James Naismith, first published activities. You spend too much time with your books," in 1941 by the YMCA Association Press, and reprinted in 1996 Naismith took this observation to heart and began to visit by the University of Nebraska Press, and "The Origin of Basket the gym and engage in athletics. One day, while watching Ball," a speech he delivered at a forum at Springfield College on the football team at practice, the center was injured; Naismith January 5, 1932. 1895 fednscumprisetl of five players wben -Legal playing area defined Hi :-«:TC ',.[ -Official women's rules established. • :•:•:•.- |.-!.. ! ;• I i.'s: '-:eriolle:jiate aisotiaun o.iikctball league formed. feet; seven players if court is gteater Rule instituted stating a disqualified player may -The Naiional Basket Ball League (NBL),the first professional than ljMOsquare feet. not be replaced for lhal half of the game. basketball league, is formed, - Free throw line moyed from The Tiemons, the first professional basketball -lames Naismith begins basketball prog ram at the University of 20 to 15 feet team, is formed of players from the Trenton •::• •:• .!•;.! r.:' :•:.-; I.° .•: • •'•••.. .; • YMCA. In ik'irrlrst game, the first era professional basketball game, the Trentons defeated the Brooklyn YMCA, 16-1, in Trenton. THE STORY OF HOW THE GAME OF BASKETBALL WAS INVENTED AT SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE SEEMS SO WELL KNOWN, SO OFTEN TOLD, THAT IT HAS BECOME AS MUCH A PART OF THE GAME AS THE GAME ITSELF. IT WAS A PERFECT STORM OF A SITUATION: A RESTLESS GROUP OF YOUNG MEN; A NEW ENGLAND WINTER; AND A YOUNG GRADUATE STUDENT-INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD BEEN ISSUED A CHALLENGE BY HIS SUPERVISOR. IT WAS THE WINTER OF 1891. Inside a gymnasium in from McGill University in Montreal, Naismith embraced a building at the corner of State and Sherman streets in his love of athletics and headed to Springfield College to Springfield, Mass., was a group of restless college students. The study physical education—at that time a relatively new and building was owned and operated by the School for Christian unknown academic discipline—under Luther Halsey Gulick, Workers, today Springfield College. The young men had to be superintendent of the School's physical department. there; they were required to participate in indoor activities to In the late 1870s, college students became avid participants burn off energy that had been building up since their football in sports—in particular, track and football. Indoor gymnastics season ended. The gymnasium class offered such activities as required during winter months to keep them active and marching, calisthenics, and apparatus work, but these were pale occupied simply did not offer the thrills and high energy of substitutes for the more exciting games the students played in the outdoor sports, nor did body-building work with light and warmer seasons. heavy apparatus, which was based on the German system of The instructor of the class was James Naismith, a 31-year- exercise. Gulick recognized that something new had to be old graduate student. After earning a theology degree introduced, so he sent Naismith to Martha's Vineyard (Mass.) 5ETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT There has been confusion over the precise nature of the The confusion was compounded by a small sign from which today's Springfield College originated. The official relationship between Springfield College and the on the corner of the building where basketball was building also included classrooms, dormitory rooms, and YMCA, as it relates to Jomes Naismith and the invention invented, at the corner of State and Sherman streets faculty and staff offices for the School. The Armory Hill of basketball. in Springfield, Massachusetts, The sign, carrying the YMCA rented space in the building for its activities, and The confusion stems in part from changes in the words "Armory Hill YMCA," is visiblein old photographs used the small sign to attract paying customers. School's name in its early history, from the School for of the building that have circulated on line. This has led James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was on Christian Workers to the YMCA Training School, then some to believe, erroneously, that the Armory Hill YMCA instructor in physical education at the School. It was to the International YMCA Training School, and, later owned the building, and that Jomes Naismith was an Luther Halsey Gulick, Naismith's supervisor and the still, to the International YMCA College. The School did employee of the YMCA, School's first physical education director, who challenged not officially adopt the name "Springfield College" until However, in 2010, some historic YMCA documents Naismith to invent a new indoor game for the School's 1954, even though it had been known informally as and Springfield College documents from the period were students to play during the long New England winter. "Springfield College "for many years. rediscovered. These documents prove conclusively that There is currently no evidence to suggest that either man But by whatever name, Springfield College has thegymnasium in wiikh iwisrnith invented basketball ever worked tor the Armory Hill YMCA, per se. always been a private and independent institution, with was located not in a YMCA but in a building owned So now you know the Hue story of James Naismith no formal organizational ties to the YMCA rr and operated by the School for Christian Workers, and the invention of basketball. 1900 - Official ball required for all match - Official ball designated as made by A.G. Spalding (hanging players lakes place only at the half, games Weight olball specified as 20 to 6 Bros, Inc.