Unlike most sports, which evolved over time from street games, basketball was designed by one man to suit a particular purpose. The man was Dr. James Naismith, and his purpose was to invent a vigorous game that could be played indoors in the winter.
In 1892, Naismith was an instructor at a training school, which trained physical education instructors for the YMCAs. That year the school was trying (1)______up with a physical activity that the men could enjoy (2)______ the football and base ball seasons. None of the standard indoor activities (3)______their interest for long. Naismith was asked to solve the problem by the school.
He first tried to (4)______some of the popular outdoor sports, but they were all too rough. The men were getting bruised from tackling each other and (5)______hit with equipment. So, Naismith decided to invent a game that would incorporate the most common elements of outdoor team sports without having the real physical contact.
Most popular sports used a ball. So he chose a soccer ball because it was soft and large enough that it (6)______no equipment, such as a bat or a racket to hit it. Next he decided (7)______ an elevated goal, so that scoring would depend on skill and accuracy rather than on (8)______ only. His goals were two peach baskets, (9)______to ten-foot-high balconies at each end of the gym. The basic (10)______of the game was to throw the ball into the basket. Naismith wrote rules for the game, (11)______of which, though with some small changes , are still (12)______effect.
Basketball was an immediate success. The students (13)______it to their friends, and the new sport quickly (14)______on. Today, basketball is one of the most popular games (15)______the world.