Basketball – A Canadian Invention

Basketball was invented by a Canadian – Dr. James Naismith. He was born on November 6, 1861 in Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario. His mother and father had immigrated to Canada from Scotland.

While at school Naismith’s played a game called duck-on-a-rock, trying to knock a “duck” off the top of a large rock by throwing another rock at it. He remembered this when tasked with devising an indoor, winter game for 18 students at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He wanted to provide students with an activity that required skill and not strength. Basketball was the result.

On December 21st 1891, James Naismith’s class of secretaries played the first ever game of basketball. The ball was a soccer ball and the goals were two peach baskets. After a somewhat chilly initial reception the new game proved to be a big hit.

References – Further Reading

http://www.kansasheritage.org/people/naismith.html

http://www.naismithmuseum.com/naismith_drjamesnaismith/main_drjamesnaismith.htm