Editing James Naismith (section)

==Early years==
[[File:Naismith statue, Almonte.jpg|thumb|left|Sculpture in [[Almonte, Ontario]]. Identical copies are located in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] and [[Lawrence, Kansas]].]]
Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, in [[Almonte, Ontario|Almonte]], [[Province of Canada#Canada West|Canada West]], [[Province of Canada]] (now part of [[Mississippi Mills, Ontario]], Canada) to [[Scottish people|Scottish]] parents.<ref name=kuhistory>
{{cite web| last = Laughead| first = George| title = Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball| work = Kansas Heritage Group | url=http://www.kansasheritage.org/people/naismith.html| access-date = September 30, 2008 }}</ref> Despite some sources to the contrary Naismith never had a middle name and never signed his name with an "A" initial. The "A" was added by someone in administration at the University of Kansas.{{efn|In 1982, Naismith's only living child stated that his father never had the middle initial "A". According to Canadian basketball historian Curtis J. Phillips, other members of Naismith's family and friends also confirm this.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://curtisjphillips.tripod.com/id10.html|title=The original Dr. J.|last=Phillips|first=Curtis J.|date=1996|access-date=January 16, 2020}}</ref>}} Gifted in farm labour, Naismith spent his days outside playing catch, hide-and-seek, or [[duck on a rock]], a medieval game in which a person guards a large [[stone skipping|skipping stone]] from opposing players, who try to knock it down by throwing smaller stones at it. To play duck on a rock most effectively, Naismith soon found that a soft lobbing shot was far more effective than a straight hard throw, a thought that later proved essential for the invention of basketball.<ref name=museumtimeline>
{{cite web| last = Laughead| first = George| title = Dr. James Naismith | work = Kansas Heritage Group| url=http://www.kansasheritage.org/people/naismith.html
|quote=In the late 1930s he played a role in what became the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball.|access-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref> Orphaned early in his life, Naismith lived with his aunt and uncle for many years and attended grade school at Bennies Corners near Almonte. Then, he enrolled in Almonte High School, in Almonte, Ontario, from which he graduated in 1883.<ref name=museumtimeline/>

In the same year, Naismith entered [[McGill University]] in [[Montreal]]. Although described as a slight figure, standing {{convert|5|ft|10+1/2|in}} and listed at {{convert|178|lb}}<ref name=hofsummary>
{{cite web| last = Dodd| first = Hellen Naismith | date = January 6, 1959| title = James Naismith's Resume| work = Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame| url= http://hoophall.com/history/naismith-resume.html| access-date = September 30, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071119053704/http://www.hoophall.com/history/naismith-resume.html |archive-date = November 19, 2007}}</ref> he was a talented and versatile athlete, representing McGill in [[Canadian football|football]], [[lacrosse]], [[rugby union|rugby]], [[soccer]], and [[gymnastics]]. He played centre on the football team, and made himself some padding to protect his ears. It was for personal use, not team use.<ref>{{cite book|author=John Melady|title=Breakthrough!: Canada's Greatest Inventions and Innovations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F2a6wWxFa_4C&pg=PA56|year=2013|publisher=Dundurn|page=56|isbn=9781459708532}}</ref> He won multiple Wicksteed medals for outstanding gymnastics performances.<ref name=mcgill>{{cite web | last = Zukerman| first = Earl | date = December 17, 2003| title = McGill grad James Naismith, inventor of basketball| work = Varsity Sports News | publisher = McGill Athletics| url = http://athletics.mcgill.ca/varsity_sports_article.ch2?article_id=110 | access-date = September 30, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081207055905/http://athletics.mcgill.ca/varsity_sports_article.ch2?article_id=110 | archive-date = December 7, 2008| url-status = dead}}</ref> Naismith earned a BA in physical education (1888) and a diploma at the [[The Presbyterian College, Montreal|Presbyterian College in Montreal]] (1890).<ref name=museumtimeline/> At the end of his career, in 1938 and 1939, he would receive honorary doctorates from both institutions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Naismith {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/james-naismith |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-10 |title=About Dr. James Naismith |url=https://naismithbasketballfoundation.com/about-dr-james-naismith/ |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=Naismith Basketball Foundation |language=en}}</ref> From 1888 to 1890, Naismith taught physical education and became the first McGill director of athletics, but then left Montreal to study at the [[Springfield College|YMCA International Training School]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web|title=A Shot at History: Basketball|url=http://www.davison.com/blog/2013/10/24/a-shot-at-history-basketball/|access-date=October 24, 2013|archive-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029190634/http://www.davison.com/blog/2013/10/24/a-shot-at-history-basketball/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=McGill University · James Naismith's Life and Legacy: Celebrating 150 Years · KU Libraries Exhibits|url=https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/exhibits/show/naismith150/collections/mcgill|access-date=July 14, 2021|website=exhibits.lib.ku.edu}}</ref> Naismith played football during his one year as a student at Springfield, where he was coached by [[Amos Alonzo Stagg]] and scored a touchdown in the first exhibition of [[Indoor American football|indoor college football]] at [[Madison Square Garden (1890)|Madison Square Garden]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 13, 1890|title=Foot-ball at the S.I.A.C. Games, Yale Daily News|url=https://ydnhistorical.library.yale.edu/?a=d&d=YDN18901213-01.2.4&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|website=Yale Daily News Historical Archive}}</ref>