James Naismith
Landon Stuhlsatz
The Inventor of Basketball
Basketball is a very popular sport, thanks to James Naismith. James Naismith was the inventor of “basket ball”, as it was called. Did you know that basketball was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets? This article will tell you about James Naismith’s early life, his later life, and the explosion of basket ball.
James Naismith's Early Life
James Naismith, the oldest of three, was born on November 6, 1861. He lived on a farm with his mother, father and siblings. He was orphaned at age 9 when his mother and father died of typhoid fever. He went to live with his grandmother but she died only two years later. After that he and his siblings went to live an uncle of theirs. His name was Peter Young. After there grandmother died he took care of the Naismith children.
James Naismith's Mid Life
When Naismith grew up he became P.E. teacher at the International Y.M.C.A. Training School. One winter the kids were bored, so the principal charged Naismith to create a new indoor sport for the kids. He took inspiration from sports like football, soccer, rugby, and lacrosse. However since they were going to be playing on a hardwood floor sports with excessive running, tackling, and roughhousing could not be played. Then he thought of a game used to play when he was a boy called "Duck on the Rock". Where you throw a ball into a box or a basket. However this time with the baskets above the players' heads. Then he created basket ball.
The Explosion of the Game
News about the sport spread quickly. The American Military played and set up tournaments at home and abroad. The game was also played in foreign countries. The news paper had an article in it about this new game. The cool thing about it is that Naismith got to live to see his new game grow.
Vocabulary
- Excessive: More than necessary
- Abroad: In foreign countries
- Lacrosse: A game played with nets on the end of sticks that you catch a ball the size of a tennis ball in
We Must Conclude:(
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