a game he called basket ball He posted a set of thirteen rules for his new sport before class on the morning of December 21 His students decided to give basket ball a try They loved it One day teachers from a nearby women s school saw the young men playing basket ball Their students started playing too Before long others learned about this challenging new game Soon basketball spread all over the country Naismith later admitted that basketball could have ended up being called crate ball or box ball He had asked the school s janitor Pop Stebbins for two square crates to nail up at either end of the gym Pop did not have any Instead he offered Naismith two round peach baskets A round ball and a round basket It made sense to Naismith and the rest is history Dr James Naismith Players and fans didn't hear any SWISH ing in the early years of basketball Not until 1893 were wooden baskets replaced by iron rims and nets Another twenty years passed before the modern net was invented and the first true SWISH was heard Still the thrill of making a perfect shot and the excitement of inventing a new one helped fuel enthusiasm for the United States newest game By the early 1900s men and women were playing basketball in almost every U S town The game was perfect for gyms dance halls theaters armories and field houses These buildings had large floors and
Girl Power Women have been playing basketball unlike other sports for as long as men Women compete at every level from grade school to professional leagues The mother of women s basketball was Senda Berenson She was a teacher at Smith College in Massachusetts In the 1890s most people believed that playing sports was bad for the health of young women Berenson disagreed She thought basketball was an excellent game for her students In 1899 the Spalding sporting goods company asked Berenson to write the official rules of women's basketball They were different from the men s rules Players were not allowed to run up and down the entire AP court They had to stay in certain zones Also there was a limit to the number of times a player could dribble Berenson s rules made passing and shooting very important parts of the women's game Not surprisingly some of the finest shooters in the country during that time were women For the next sixty years or so women continued to play basketball according to these rules Six players took tu court for each team Three played offense only and three played defense only They did not cross half court the area where a line separates the court in two equal halves This restriction kept the best players from showing all their modern skills By the early 1970s the women's game finally began to change Women played five on five just like the men Free to display all their talent the top stars proved just how good they could be At the same time the women's game was growing in popularity in Europe and Asia Several countries started professional leagues During the 1980s and 1990s many U S college stars played overseas after graduating The first successful US pro league started after the 1996 Olympics The U S team above had won the gold medal and fans everywhere were very excited about women's basketball The Women's National Basketball Association WNBA began play in 1997 Over the years the world's best players joined the league They helped focus even greater attention on the teamwork energy and skill that characterize the women's game
high ceilings which provided plenty of room for players and fans In big cities meanwhile playgrounds were hard to find Churches and settlement houses responded by converting their big basements into basketball courts Back then basketball was a rough game that caused a lot of bumps and bruises Referees called fouls only when players were hit very hard or knocked off their feet Players wore thick pants and pads on their knees and elbows to protect themselves Nets or wire cages surrounded many courts which prevented players from spilling into the audience as they chased after a loose ball Basketball was also a very fast game Players darted back and forth and passed the ball all over the court Dribbling the ball was not yet important The ball at the time was large and heavy It also had laces like a football so it did not always bounce straight Making a basket was not easy Many players were still learning the basics of the game They took almost all shots with two hands Some players launched the ball from behind their heads much the way soccer players toss balls from the sidelines The most popular style of shooting was a two handed shot from the waist or chest Very few shots actually went into the basket Most points were made on free throws which were awarded to a player who had been fouled Slowly but surely players found different ways of putting the ball in the basket In U S high schools and colleges coaching became more important Coaches started sketching out plays for their teams They taught their players how to get shots at the basket without defenders blocking their vision As more and more people across the country began to understand and appreciate basketball the game grew in popularity BEAVIER 10 SWISH
Many young immigrants and the children of immigrants began playing basketball as well The United States was a melting pot of many ethnic groups during the early 1900s Basketball offered them an opportunity to meet other young people from the same homeland who spoke the same language and had the same customs In that way the sport helped immigrants realize they were not alone in their new en Dia country TI At the same time basket ball also made immigrants feel more American The sport had been invented in their new home and they took pride in being part of something that the United States could claim as its The groups that excelled in basketball included German Americans and Irish Americans The sport was also popular among Jewish people who had come to the United States from Russia and castern Europe Own Most children of immigrants were too poor to go to college Fortunately the best players found ways to continue playing basketball as they got older Many joined teams that were part of professional leagues Basketball became their job A good player could make anywhere from five to fifty dollars a game which was a good salary in those days Players also made money coaching school teams High school and college students soon caught on to the tricks of the pros Aiming for the Stars I
