Invention of Basketball

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Questions and Answers

Why was James Naismith tasked with creating a new indoor activity?

To provide a physical activity for college students during the long New England winters (correct)

To replace an existing sport that was losing popularity

To create a new outdoor sport for the summer

To create a competitive sport for the college staff

Who gave the order to create a new indoor activity?

Luther Gulick (correct)

James Naismith

A college student

A college administrator

What was James Naismith's position at the college?

Professor of sports

Staff member (correct)

College administrator

Student athlete

What was the outcome of James Naismith's task?

He developed a new indoor activity called basketball Signup and view all the answers

What is the general context in which the story of basketball's invention takes place?

A cold and snowy climate Signup and view all the answers

What was Naismith's main concern about the system they were using?

The kind of work not being of a recreative nature Signup and view all the answers

What was the main reason for creating a new game?

To make the game more appealing to the young men's play instincts Signup and view all the answers

What was the original purpose of the game Naismith created?

To provide a new form of exercise for the young men Signup and view all the answers

What influenced the shape and size of the ball used in the new game?

Soccer Signup and view all the answers

What was the original purpose of the goal Naismith created?

To prevent the ball from being rushed through Signup and view all the answers

What was the height of the lower balcony rail where the peach baskets were nailed?

10 feet Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary reason for the students' restlessness in the gymnasium class?

They were forced to participate in indoor activities to burn off energy Signup and view all the answers

What was the role of the man stationed at each end of the balcony?

To pick the ball from the basket and put it back into play Signup and view all the answers

What was an adaptation of the game Naismith created?

Lacrosse Signup and view all the answers

What was the academic discipline that James Naismith was studying at Springfield College?

Physical Education Signup and view all the answers

Who was the superintendent of physical education at Springfield College?

Luther Halsey Gulick Signup and view all the answers

What was the topic of the new course introduced by Luther Halsey Gulick in the summer session of 1891?

The psychology of play Signup and view all the answers

Why did James Naismith have a new motivation to create a new indoor game?

The students were not interested in the required gymnasium work Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the two instructors who tried to devise activities before James Naismith?

They had failed to devise activities that would interest the students Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary requirement for the new indoor game introduced by Luther Halsey Gulick?

It had to be interesting, easy to learn, and easy to play in the winter and by artificial light Signup and view all the answers

Where did James Naismith graduate from with a theology degree?

Presbyterian College in Montreal Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Origin of Basketball

The invention of basketball was a result of an order by Luther Gulick to create a new indoor activity for college students during long New England winters.
James Naismith, a staff member at the college, was tasked with inventing a new game.
Naismith successfully invented the game of basketball in response to Gulick's order.

The Invention of Basketball

In the winter of 1891-1892, a group of college students at Springfield College (then known as the International YMCA Training School) were required to participate in indoor activities due to the end of the football season.
The instructor of the class was James Naismith, a 31-year-old graduate student who was studying physical education under Luther Halsey Gulick, the superintendent of physical education at the College.

The Problem and the Challenge

The students were restless and uninterested in the mandatory gymnasium work, and two instructors had already tried and failed to devise activities that would interest them.
Naismith believed that the problem lay not with the students, but with the system, and that the kind of work needed to motivate and inspire the young men should be of a recreative nature.

The Creation of Basketball

Naismith was tasked with creating a game that was easy to assimilate, yet complex enough to be interesting, and could be played indoors or on any kind of ground by a large number of players at once.
The game had to provide plenty of exercise, but without the roughness of football, soccer, or rugby.
Naismith adapted elements from various games, including American rugby, English rugby, lacrosse, soccer, and duck on a rock, a game he played as a child.

The First Basketball Game

Naismith nailed two peach baskets to the lower rail of the gymnasium balcony, one at each end, to serve as goals.
The height of the lower balcony rail was ten feet, which became the standard height for basketball hoops.
A man was stationed at each end of the balcony to pick the ball from the basket and put it back into play.

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Description

Learn about the story of how James Naismith invented the game of basketball, from the order by Luther Gulick to create a new indoor activity for college students during the long New England winters.