Free The Long Journey Home by Don Coldsmith Page B

there would be a special demonstration at the gymnasium. A new game … An activity for the winter months when the weather prevented outdoor sports, and young athletes needed something to keep in shape. They moved to the gym, and a young instructor, James Naismith, from Canada, explained how it had originated, mostly by accident.
    As a graduate assistant at the college, Naismith had been working part time at another job at the downtown YMCA, with younger boys. At the end of the
class sessions, it was sometimes difficult to induce the students to return the soccer balls to the storage boxes without a lot of delay and horseplay. The instructor had decided to make it a contest, dividing the class into two teams: Who could put the equipment away faster?
    From there, things began to change rapidly, and somewhat unexpectedly. Several of the youngsters found that they could speed the process by throwing the soccer balls into the bins from a distance. At this point, many instructors might have stopped the fun, but to Naismith it was merely another challenge. Why not make that a part of the game? With a storage box at each end of the gym, he had announced the game of “box ball.”
    A few rules evolved, and sometime later, he conceived another idea. Around the balcony of the YMCA gym was a running track, banked at the turns, for the track-and-field runners to use in inclement weather. Why not fasten the boxes to the rail of the balcony? Someone stationed above at either end could retrieve the ball after each score, to hasten the game along. He had requested the custodian to find two uniformly shaped boxes, but none were immediately available. The custodian suggested that perhaps a pair of bushel baskets might suffice. Always flexible, Naismith quickly agreed. They could, he observed, change the name of the game to “basket ball.”
    The game could be played, Naismith continued, with almost any number of players. They had experimented with as many as twelve to fourteen on each side. However, it had proved more practical and a more open and exciting game, if there were no more than five or six on each team.
    Rules were evolving. No body contact. No walking or running with the ball, but it could be bounced repeatedly … . The students were calling this a “dribble.”
    After the brief explanation, the demonstration began, with six on each team. The game was amusing—sometimes hilarious—as the ball moved back and forth, up and down the floor.
    John admired Naismith’s ingenuity and managed to visit with the young coach for a few moments after the game. An idea was forming in his mind. Until now, he had really not begun to visualize any long-term goals for his life. He was enjoying his athletic activities, but had really not thought seriously beyond his years in school. After that, what?
    Now, he was being exposed to a group of professionals, teachers of athletics. They were interesting, interested in their student athletes, honest, hardworking. They had been good to him … .
    Maybe I could learn to be a coach , he thought.
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    On the train back to Pennsylvania, he pondered considerably about it. He was lost in thought, staring sightlessly out the window at the passing countryside, when the coach slipped into the seat beside him.

    â€œYou’re looking mighty serious, John,” said McGregor. “Something wrong?”
    â€œNo, sir. Just thinking.”
    Neither spoke for a little while. There was little conversation in the entire squad, with tired athletes dozing in the comfort of the sun-warmed railroad car.
    â€œYou played a good game,” said Mac.
    â€œBut we lost,” John answered.
    â€œNo, it was a tie.”
    â€œThat proves nothing, though.”
    â€œOn the contrary, John. It proves that two teams are equally skilled.”
    â€œIt’s better to win,” protested the young man.
    â€œOf course,” smiled the coach. “It’s a lot more fun.