By Stephanie Lyons
For the Salem News
April 11, 2008

With our hometown team the Boston Celtics at the top of their game and March Madness at its end, it's hard not to be a basketball fan right now.

Thousands of children and adults across the North Shore participate in basketball programs through the YMCA. From preschool-aged children learning the basics to adults competing in leagues, basketball is a huge part of the organization. Basketball's history is deeply rooted in the Y's history as well.

In December 1891, future YMCA directors were gathered at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Mass. They loved the outdoor activities of football and rugby, but didn't care for indoor fitness activities like gymnastics, which were common at the time.

The school's director, Luther Gulick, gave one physical education teacher, James Naismith, the task of inventing a new game that could be played indoors during the winter. Naismith hung two peach baskets to the bottom of a second-floor running track and created 13 rules for his game, which he named "basketball."

The Training School participants immediately took to the game and brought it back to their local YMCAs when the session was over. The game quickly became popular, and on Jan. 15, 1892, Naismith published the official rules of basketball.

Basketball games on the North Shore began with individual Ys competing against each other, as well as other clubs and schools competing against the YMCA. The indoor gymnasiums were perfect for the game and drew crowds to watch the men compete.

Today, hundreds of boys and girls learn the game of basketball at the YMCA from as early as age 3. Classes focus on basic skills and rules as well as good sportsmanship and goal-setting. Once children build their skills, they can join various leagues to put their skills into action on a team. Adults also are active in YMCA basketball leagues. The fun of the game never grows old.

The impact of the YMCA often leads to lifelong involvement. Peter Lucido, who grew up playing basketball at the Cape Ann YMCA, said, "My family spent a lot of time playing sports, including basketball, at the YMCA in Gloucester. We learned sportsmanship and teamwork. Whole days were spent at the Y, playing games and making friends."

Now his children are involved in the YMCA, and he coaches basketball at the Sterling YMCA in Beverly. "I enjoy giving back to my community while also teaching kids the YMCA's core values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility. The Y is a safe, well-known and well-established organization that my parents felt comfortable sending me to, and I feel the same way about my family. It's a great place for my kids to learn basketball."

Sports have always been a part of the YMCA. Not only was basketball invented at the Y, but also volleyball, racquetball and group swim lessons. More than 1,000 people participate in sports at the North Shore YMCAs, which include Salem, Marblehead/Swampscott, Greater Beverly, Ipswich Family, Cape Ann and Haverhill.

The YMCA is proud of its contributions to sports on the North Shore and looks forward to the next 150 years of fun physical activity to shape the spirits, minds and bodies of the community.

Stephanie Lyons works for the YMCA of the North Shore, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. In honor of the milestone, The Salem News will run a monthly story on the history of the Y and its accomplishments. For more information on the YMCA of the North Shore, call 978-922-0990 or visit www.northshoreymca.org.

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