Why Basketball?

Accessibility

With minimal equipment needed and public courts readily available all over the world, basketball is accessible to families of all socioeconomic groups. 

Rules

Basketball rules may be a bit tricky when you first begin, but become fairly simple to understand after a short period of time playing and being around the game.

Creativity

Basketball provides each player a unique opportunity to add their own flair to the game: the way they pass, dribble, and shoot, as well as their personalities on the court.

Pace of the Game​

Many people who watch and play basketball thoroughly enjoy the fast pace of the game, as games rarely stop and the action is end-to-end. 

Child Development ​

Basketball fosters strong coordination, accuracy, concentration, confidence, and leadership skills. 

Health Benefits

Playing basketball is a full cardiovascular workout that also builds the muscles associated with basketball movements (see more below).

The Analytics

  • Basketball (36.8%) is the most common sport played by youth in the United States, followed by soccer (26.5%), and baseball (24.1%).
  • Among US youth 6–14 years of age, 14.4 million play basketball.
  • As of 2023, 1 in 5 children in the US are obese, with this number rising yearly. Children’s lifestyles, focused on technology use, contribute to childhood obesity as they often prioritize screen time over healthy eating and physical activities.

Health Benefits

  • Cardiovascular Health: Basketball involves aerobic exercise, promoting heart and lung health, and enhancing cardiovascular function.
  • Weight Management: Regular participation in basketball helps burn calories, contributing to healthy weight management and reducing the risk of obesity.
  • Muscle Strength and Bone Density: The physical demands of basketball, such as running, jumping, and quick movements, contribute to the development of muscle strength and bone density in growing youth.
  • Coordination and Balance: The dynamic nature of the game improves coordination, balance, and agility, supporting overall motor skills development.
  • Endurance: Basketball’s fast-paced nature enhances endurance, building stamina and promoting overall physical fitness.
  • Reduced Stress: Physical activity in basketball triggers the release of endorphins, which can help reduce stress and improve mood.
  • Improved Mental Health: Engaging in basketball can have positive effects on mental health, alleviating stress and providing a healthy outlet for emotions.

Rooted in Christian Values

Thanks to Dr. James Naismith many young people were brought to Christ through the game of basketball.

In 1891, Naismith was a graduate student and instructor at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, MA, where he was charged with creating a new indoor game that would be good physical exercise and keep the interest of his rambunctious students.

“I called the boys to the gym and divided them into two teams of nine and gave them an old soccer ball,” Naismith explained. “I showed them two peach baskets I had nailed at each end of the gym, and I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the other team’s peach basket.” The game was called, “Basket Ball,” and the boys couldn’t get enough of it.

To Naismith, basketball was more than just a game. It’s true value came in developing Christian character by teaching life lessons through sport. He was convinced that he could better exemplify the Christian life through sports than in the pulpit, and thus sought to “develop the whole person — mind, body and spirit” in the gym. 

Read here to learn more about Dr. James Naismith and how he started the game of basketball.

Listen here to Dr. James Naismith talk about how he started the game of basketball.

Read here to learn more about the original 13 rules of basketball, and how some of them have changed over the years.

December 21st

Established by the United Nations on August 23, 2023 during the FIBA World Cup, World Basketball Day will be observed annually on Dec. 21 – the day Dr. James Naismith first introduced the game of basketball at the Springfield YMCA in 1891.

LEARN MORE

Basketball Teaches Life Lessons

Listen to Kobe Bryant & Nate Thurmond as they talk about the life lessons they learned from playing the game of basketball.

"The Orange Ball Is Truly Magical"

Listen to Ray Allen, Alex English, and Clyde Drexler as they talk about how much the game of basketball has done for them.

Passion & Love For The Game

Listen to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as they talk about the passion and love they had for the game of basketball.

It's Not About the Money

Listen as Michael Jordan talks about how he never played the game of basketball for the money.

"Dear Basketball"

Watch this Academy Award winning short film that was written and narrated by Kobe Bryant. It describes his love for the game, which began when he was a young child.