Figure 1.--The standard basketball uniform is a sleevless jersey and short pants. Sock length has varied. Canvas sneakes rubber soled sneakers are worn, but designs have changed markedly over time.
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Figure 1.--The standard basketball uniform is a sleevless jersey and short pants. Sock length has varied. Canvas sneakes rubber soled sneakers are worn, but designs have changed markedly over time. |
Basketball is perhaps the quinesential American sport. Baseball is often referred to as the "national game". Baseball has, however, clearly descenced from cricket and rounders--two English games. Basketball has, however, no European antecedents. It was purely the creation of a coach who needed an indoor sport that could be played during the brutal northern winters. It was thought up purely for that purpose and was not based on any earlier sport. A specialized version developed for girls in England called netball-where no dribling was allowed. American girls rejected netball and insisting on playing basketball like the boys. Although once played mostly in America, the sport with the popularity of Michael Jordon and the status as an Olympic sport have helped to make in an increasingly popular international sport.
Basketball is perhaps the quinesential American sport. Baseball is often referred to as the "national game". Baseball has, however, clearly descenced from cricket and rounders--two English games. Basketball has, however, no European antecedents. It was purely the creation of a coach who needed an indoor sport that could be played during the brutal northern winters. Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith, a physical education instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) training school at Springfield, Massachusets--now Springfield College. It was thought up purely for that purpose and was not based on any earlier sport. Basketball is in fact the only major American sport whose origin can be definitevely identified and dated. Dr. Naismith was taking a psychology class which was given an exercize in creativity to devise a game that could be played by a small number of participants in a limited area indoors. Dr. Naismith devised the game to fill in the long winter gap between the end of the football season and the beginning of the baseball season. The first game was played the falling day with peach baskets. It rapidly spread among YMCAs around the country and within 2-3 years to athletic clubs. It proved enormously popular and soon schools began adopting it.
Basketball quickly became the dominany Winter sport throughout the Mid-West where the severe Winters made outdoor sports impractical.
A specialized version developed for girls in England called netball-where no dribling was allowed. Presumaby Netball was a spinoff of basketball, but HBC at this time has not details. American girls rejected netball and insisting on playing basketball like the boys.
Although once played mostly in America, the sport with the popularity of Michael Jordon and the status as an Olympic sport have helped to make in an increasingly popular international sport.
Figure 2.--Basketball uniforms changed in the 1990s. Boys began wearing larger jerseys, often over "T" shirts, with longer, baggy shorts. |
The basketball uniform is simple, like soccer. A jersey (usually sleeveless because of
the high amount of physical activity and the need to keep cool), shorts, socks and shoes. The standard basketball uniform is a sleeveless jersey and short pants. Sock length has varied. Canvas sneakes rubber soled sneakers are worn, but designs have changed markedly over time. HBC has little information on early uniforms. By the 1920s the shorts were quite short. We note siglets, short short pants, and kneesocks with stripes being worn in the 1920s. A good example is the Holderness School in 1923. The uniform was often a shiny satin-like material. Numbers wre on the back of the jersey. In the 1970s, tube socks with colored bands became popular. The uniforms changed markedly in the 1990s. Boys began wearing larger jerseys and longer baggy shorts. "T"-shirts were commonly worn under the jersey. Ankle socks began replacing kneesocks.
Some HBC readers are critical of the new basketball uniforms with the long baggy shorts. One reader writes, "I think they're ugly and ridiculous. They look like nightmarish versions of short pajamas advertised for boys years ago."
Basketball as it originated in America was for years primarily an American sport. Nowhere has basketball been as popular as in America. While it was particularly popular in Midwest, the YMCA and highschool sports program help spread it throughout America. The initial rural focus changed as basketball eventually became America's preminent urban sport--because of the small area and limited equipment required. We have noted it being played in Britain in the 1950s, although it has never been a major sport there. Many more girls played netball than boys played basketball. Throughout Europe, rge obsession with football (soccer) has limited participation in other sports. After basketball was made an olympic sport it was taken up seriously in many different countries. Uniforms are fairly standard among countries, but some differences can be noted.
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