Indiana Basketball History Magazine – Winter 2013
This year the game of basketball is 122 years old. it was founded in the fall of 1891 by James Naismith while teaching at the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, Massachusetts.
At the Springfield YMCA Naismith struggled with a rowdy class which was confined to indoor games throughout the harsh New England winter and thus was perpetually short-tempered. Under orders from Dr. Luther Gulick, head of Springfield YMCA Physical Education, Naismith was given 14 days to create an indoor game that would provide an “athletic distraction”. Gulick demanded that it would not take up much room, could help its track athletes to keep in shape and explicity emphasized to make it fair for all palyers and, not too rough. Basketball was the Naismith solution.
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