James Naismith wasn't just the inventor of basketball. During his youth, he was one of the top athletes in Canada, an Army Chaplain during the First World War and also earned a medical degree. This is the story of this great Canadian. James Naismith was born on Nov. 6, 1861 in Almonte, Canada West (now Ontario) to Scottish immigrants. When he was nine, his parents died of typhoid and he was raised by his uncle Peter. From an early age, he was a skilled athlete. He often played a game called "duck on a rock", which involved trying to hit a rock on a stone that was guarded by one person. Players threw rocks to try and hit the rock and knock it off the stone. This game became a major influence in the creation of basketball. In 1883, Naismith enrolled at McGill University. There, he competed in lacrosse, football, rugby, soccer and gymnastics. In 1887, he was named the top athlete in his class. He then studied theology at Presbyterian College and earned his diploma in 1890. In 1891, he was hired as the Physical Director of the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith wanted a way to keep students active in the gym during the winter. He decided to create a game that would be fair for all players and free of rough play. Using "duck on a rock" as a basis, he developed a game where players threw a soccer ball at a box. Due to the limited confines of the gymnasium, he decided to have the box elevated off the ground for players to shoot at. He also swapped the box for peach baskets. On Dec. 21, 1891, the first game of basketball was played at Springfield College. Each side had nine players but the rules had not been settled on by Naismith yet. On Jan. 15, 1892, he created his 13 Rules of Basketball. youtube.com/watch?v=xiJJIacd… Basketball quickly grew in popularity and spread to other regions of North America. At the same time, Naismith went to medical school and graduated in 1898. He then founded the men's basketball program at the University of Kansas and coached the first team. During the First World War, he served as a chaplain and spent time in France and Paris where he also worked to improve the social hygiene of troops. After the war, he returned to the University of Kansas where he remained until his retirement in 1937 at the age of 76. In 1936, Naismith saw his sport of basketball become an official Olympic sport. James Naismith died on Nov. 28, 1939. Today, basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world with 450 million people playing it globally. Naismith was the first person inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959. He is also a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. There is a statue of James Naismith in Almonte, Ontario. I hope you enjoyed that look at the life of James Naismith. If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at 👇 buymeacoffee.com/craigu Sources: Canadian Encyclopedia: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/e… Parks Canada: pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_… Dictionary of Canadian Biography: biographi.ca/en/bio/naismith… McGill Athletics Hall of Fame: mcgillathletics.ca/honors/ha…