Madison C.

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara Catholic Regional Fair

Dr. James Naismith

Dr.James Naismith born on the 6th of November in 1861 in Almonte Canada. Dr.James Naismith attended McGill University in Montreal. He was then hired at the YMCA training center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Here he was told to make a sport but restrictions made it difficult. He overcome these restrictions and he called this game basketball. He then put together thirteen rules.  

 

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

One of the most interesting things I learned while researching my project is what an interesting life Dr. James Naismith had outside of inventing basketball. Dr. James Naismith received 11 degrees, he was an orphan and he was a lumberjack. Something else interesting I learned was that Dr. James Naismith has been inducted into 9 halls of fame, some of which are the McGill University Hall Of Fame, The Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and The Ontario Sports Legends Hall Of Fame.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

Some important lessons that I have learned that I would like to tell Canadians are that basketball is a Canadian sport and was invented by a Canadian. I would also like Canadians to know that Dr. James Naismith also invented the first football helmet and he wrote the original basketball rule book. The last thing I would like Canadians to know is that basketball is now the second most popular sport and is played world-wide.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Basketball was very different when Dr. James Naismith created the sport. They used to play 9 vs 9 now they play 5 vs 5. They also used to use peach baskets, now they have hoops with backboards that can withstand the weight of a person hanging on them. The sport also used to be non-contact and you used to not be able to dribble the ball.