In the pre-computer era, children played outdoor games in the air. The Americans had a popular game called "Duck on the Stone." A stone called a duck was placed on a stump or other elevation. A “guard” stood near him, who was supposed to prevent the rest of the players from trying to knock the “duck” to the ground.
They say that it was in this fun that a physical education teacher from a college in the American city of Springfield saw the concept of a game he called basketball. The man's last name was Naismith. James had no idea how popular this game would become all over the world.
Athlete, teacher, inventor
The father of basketball was born in 1861 in Ontario, Canada. Now in the town of Mississippi Mills there is a house-museum of the inventor of basketball. Since childhood, he was fond of sports, especially game types. If hockey had been as popular then as it is now, one of the Canadian teams would certainly have a center forward with the name Naismith on his jersey. James played other games during his studies at the University of Montreal, mainly a form of European football (called in North Americasoccer) and Canadian.
The young man had an innovative mindset and an inventive streak. Canadian, like American, football has English rugby in its ancestors and is a super-contact game with increased injury risk. Violent collisions resulted in permanent damage. James Naismith is credited as the first player to wear a protective helmet. The rules did not forbid it, and other students followed suit, fearing for the safety of their ability to successfully assimilate the educational material.
Bachelor of Physical Education
After graduating from university and becoming a certified teacher of physical education, James Naismith moved to a neighboring country. Since 1891, he began to work in one of the colleges organized by the YMKA (YMKA - Young Men's Christian Association) - Youth Christian Organization, in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. In addition to gymnastics, he taught anatomy.
As a teacher, James Naismith was considered a true professional. He sought to introduce students to sports, trying to make classes arouse interest, without turning into boring and monotonous exercises. In summer it was easier to organize outdoor competitions where students played baseball and football, in winter it was more difficult to maintain interest in gymnastics in the gym. College Principal Dr. Luther Gulick asked James to come up with something. And better not as aggressive as rugby or American football. The creative nature of the talentedthe gym teacher once helped Naismith find a brilliant solution.
Soccer ball and two peach baskets
James Naismith invented the indoor ball game to alleviate the boredom of exercising on gymnastic equipment or the monotonous running around them. They say that the rules of the new game, which are still relevant in general terms today, were formulated within an hour. One day, he noticed how some of the students from the college rugby team were trying to play in the hall, using a large box instead of a goal.
On December 1, 1891, dividing the students into two teams, he proposed hitting the ball into a wooden box located on the floor in the center of the gym. The case ended in a bunch of small, when the defenders got up around the box and completely blocked it from the opponents. There was a gallery around the perimeter of the hall, and James got the idea to nail two empty baskets in which fruit was delivered to the college to its opposite sides. The first basketball players were supposed to hit them with a leather ball for European football, gaining points.
Shield, ring and net
The height at which the baskets were fixed was 305 centimeters, which is preserved in the modern rules of the game. Now it has become more difficult to block the opponent's shots, and the game has become more dynamic. Unnecessary pauses occurred when the watchman, who bore the name Stebbins, had to get the balls that hit the target. Perhaps it was he who first ran out of patience, and he cut out the bottom of the baskets so that the ball itself fell down. were soon mademetal rings with mesh, which has not fundamentally changed to our time.
The game was so exciting that soon the competition began to attract fans who filled the gallery. In an effort to help the players, they often caught the ball flying past the target and lowered it into the basket. To protect the ring from voluntary helpers, it was necessary to build a shield to which the basket was attached. Subsequently, he began to play a different role, but still remains one of the most important attributes of basketball.
First rules
Understanding what kind of sports game James Naismith came up with is very simple. Today, a strong metal ring, equipped with a synthetic mesh, must withstand the weight of two-meter athletes, but is still called a basket - in English basket. A modern ball made from a unique polymer is the product of sophisticated technology and high design. It bears little resemblance to the football leather that Naismith found the most suitable, but it is still called in English ball - bol.
The rules of basketball have changed dramatically in more than a hundred years, making this game the fastest in the world. But the first, original, were published on January 15, 1892 in the school newspaper, which was called "Triangle". This day is considered the official birth date of basketball, a game that is played by about 300 million today.
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A new game - fast and fun, which could be played both outdoors and indoors, with simple and clear rules, immediatelyyoung people liked it. Naismith was contacted from various educational institutions from all over America with a request to send basketball rules. In 1892, a book was published in which they were formulated in 13 points. The basic provisions of the rules are unshakable for the current generation.
A sheet of typewritten rules with Naismith's handwritten heading "Basketball" was sold at auction in 2010 for more than $4 million. The father of basketball himself was not engaged in a special "promotion" of the new game and did not use it for self-promotion. The game, authored by James Naismith, basketball, is considered the most "American", but the native Canadian received US citizenship only in 1925, 34 years after the resettlement. He pursued his own teaching career, earning several degrees in religion, philosophy, and medicine. But his brainchild quickly gained popularity around the world.
Olympic sport
In 1898, the first professional league appeared in the USA. Players received $2.5 for home games and $1.25 for away games. Less than a hundred years have passed and one of the star players of the Washington Bullets NBA team, Juwan Howard, signed a contract according to which he received $ 100 million over seven seasons.
The 1904 St. Louis Olympics hosted an exhibition basketball match, and the 1936 Berlin Olympics hosted the first official tournament in which the US team defeated Canada 18-9 in the final. guest of honor who madesymbolic throw-in in the final match, was the inventor of the game himself. Invited to the Olympics by the top leadership of the IOC, he was able to appreciate the scope of popularity that his offspring has gained throughout the world.
Glory lifetime and posthumous
Naismith died on November 28, 1939, surrounded by five children and many grandchildren. Perhaps the invention of a steam hammer by James Naismith, as did his English almost namesake James Naismith, or, for example, a sewing machine, would bring him greater prosperity and a more prosperous life. But until now, millions of people are grateful to him for the joy that his invention brings.
Today, basketball is a powerful industry in which billions of dollars are invested and an exciting game for ordinary people on playgrounds in many regions of the world. The name of the father of basketball is given to basketball halls of fame in North American cities, many sports facilities around the planet.
