THE INVENTOR OF BASKETBALL

Doctor James Naismith was born on Nov. 6 1861 and died on Nov. 28 1939. he is famous for inventing the game of basketball and he was also the first person to introduce the use of a helmet in American football.

He was born in Ontario and attended McGill University. He invented the game of basketball in a YMCA gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts, and set down the original 13 rules of the game. The rules were first published on January 15 1892.

He was a physical education professional and wrote many books and articles. He was also Presbyterian minister with degrees in philosophy, physical education, medicine and religion.

His inspiration came from a game he played as a young child called Duck-on-a-Rock, the game was first played in the school’s gym with a peach basket nailed at each end, and 2 teams of 9 players.

Basketball quickly became popular in the USA and spread around the world. Basketball became an Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Games. Naismith presented the gold medals to the United States team, which beat Canada in the final.

Naismith was a professor at the University of Kansas and the college’s first basketball coach. Kansas went on to develop one of the country’s most successful college basketball programs. It is ironic to note that Naismith is the only Kansas University coach to have a losing record during his tenure at the school.

After his death he was elected to the American Academy of Physical Education in 1941, the Basketball Hall of Fame is also named after him.

The information and resources on this website are free. Learn how to apply for a basketball scholarship.

Junior College Basketball Scholarships.

There are some great basketball camps available for both men and women. A large number of colleges run their own camps as well over the summer. These basketball camps camps can provide you with very specific additional training and development and also get you noticed by the college basketball coaches.