A little bit about me!

My name is Kate and I am a sophmore in high school. One of my electives this year is web design. During web design we have projects that we have to complete throughout the two terms. One of the projects that we are working on right now is making a blog. I decided to blog about basketball and the creation of the game. I hope you enjoy my blog!

Monday, March 26, 2012

The Creation of Basketball


Dr. James Naismith
       Basketball was invented in December of 1891 by Dr. James Naismith. Mr. Naismith was a physical education teacher the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School in Springfield Massachusetts. One rainy day, Mr. Naismith was trying to think of an appropriate activity to do in doors to keep his classes active and still keep them safe. He tried and tried to think of a game that people could play indoors during the harsh New England winters. After lots of thinking, he came up with the idea of nailing a peach basket onto a 10-foot (3.05 m) elevated track. However, after every basket was scored the ball had to be retrieved which was inefficient so later the bottom of the peach basket was removed.
      Dribbling was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a major part of the game around the 1950s, as manufacturing improved the ball shape.
     Also as the game continued to be played, improvements were made. First of all the peach baskets were not used after 1906 and instead metal hoops were used.This way after a basket was made, someone didn't need to go get the ball; the ball would just fall through to the ground. Also a backboard was added to prevent the ball from hitting people in the crowd. The backboard also allowed for people to rebound shots that were missed.
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2 comments:

  1. Lori A.March 26, 2012 at 11:02 AM

    Kate, A very interesting early history for the sport of basketball! So funny that they used the peach basket “hoops” for as long as they did! I was interesting to read about how the sport changed as manufacturing improved (i.e., they had the technology to make rounder basketballs thus dribbling was introduced as part of the game.) I'd also be interested in learning about when basketball became a professional sport; when the professional leagues started, etc. Who were some of the early players (teams) that were instrumental in making basketball as popular as it is today? Also, how has this sport caught on abroad? Are there any particular countries that enjoy the sport as much as the US? You’re off to a good start with your blog; I’m looking forward to returning soon to read (and learn) more! Mrs. A.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 29, 2014 at 8:45 AM

    I'm so glad to find a blog that relates to my topic. I learn a lot from your blog, such as the basket,backboard and the inventor.I'm interested in basketball, so I like learning the history of baskeyball. I look forward to see more information about that!

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