James Naismith (1861-1939) was a Canadian-American physical education instructor who invented the game of basketball in December 1891 while teaching at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Tasked with devising an indoor game to keep athletes active during winter, he nailed a peach basket to an elevated track and wrote out thirteen original rules, most of which still shape the game today. He later became the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas, and though his own coaching record there was a losing one, the program he founded became one of the sport's most storied. Naismith lived to see basketball included as an Olympic demonstration sport, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield is named in his honor.
Facts
RolePhysical educator, physician and sports coach; inventor of basketball 1 BirthplaceAlmonte, Canada West, Province of Canada 1 Death PlaceSource states the burial location; the exact place of death is not separately given. Role
Role (category) FAQs
Where did James Naismith get the idea for basketball?
Encyclopedia.com says he adapted ideas from outdoor sports and recalled a childhood game of throwing balls into boxes or baskets.
According to Encyclopedia.com, Naismith first looked for inspiration to outdoor sports such as soccer, lacrosse and football and tried to modify them for an indoor format. Because the game would be played on a hardwood floor, sports involving excessive running, tackling and rough-housing were out of the question. Encyclopedia.com then says he recalled a childhood game called duck on the rock, which involved throwing balls into empty boxes or baskets.
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Source Wikipedia: James Naismith
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: James Naismith
Wikipedialead section
was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball
Early years section
Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Canada West, Province of Canada
lead section, infobox dates
James Naismith ( NAY-smith; November 6, 1861 - November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball.
later career section
He was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas.
James Naismith: Gender
Tasked with devising an indoor game to keep athletes active during winter, he nailed a peach basket to an elevated track and wrote out thirteen original rules, most of which still shape the game today.
In Era: The Late Modern Period, lead paragraph, lifespan
James Naismith ( NAY-smith; November 6, 1861 - November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball.
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