Do you Know the Origin of Basketball?

Do you know the origin of basketball?

The origins of the game of basketball can be traced back to a gentleman by the name of Dr. James Naismith. In 1861, Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. During basketball early school days, Naismith would play a game called duck on a rock whereby the child would endeavor to knock the duck off the top of the rock with a toss of another rock.

Later on, Naismith would go on to McGill University in Montreal and would later become McGill University's Athletic Director. He would subsequently move on to YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts and in 1891, the game of basketball began.

Given the cold Massachusetts winters, Naismith needed to find a recreational activity that could be played indoors and he preferred a basketball that would develop skill and one that was not exclusively relying on strength. The first game was played with two peach baskets for goals and a soccer ball.

Further to his credit, Naismith became a medical doctor specializing in sports physiology and a Presbyterian minister. Naismith was able to see his beloved sport of basketball, gain acceptance in numerous countries through the YMCA since 1893. As well, the sport of basketball was brought forth at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. As we speak, the game of basketball has become a very popular professional sport.

Catherine Kenyeres is a successful author and publisher for http://www.best-4u-tickets.com. Catherine has written numerous articles for the sports enthusiast.

NCAA Brackets For Final Four - Who Will Be There This Year?

March is coming up, which is going to be one of the most exciting seasons for sports fans all over the country. This is known as the March Madness in which the NCAA college basketball teams are competing against each other for the NCAA trophy, which is a big honor for both the winning team and the state they represent. This tournament is going to be held from the first week of March to the first week of April and there will be at least 65 college basketball teams who will be playing for the national title. NCAA fans will also be pumped up this year since there are a lot of good teams playing in the 2009 NCAA tournament, hoping that their bets will go on to the NCAA Brackets for Final Four. The final four are the teams that have the highest chances of winning and the title, honor, and money will go to the champion team.

Some of the NCAA Brackets for Final Four point to certain college basketball teams such as Connecticut, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh who have made history back in the previous NCAA tournaments. The results as to who will be in the Final Four won't come around just yet, but many are already placing their biggest bets on the college basketball teams that will definitely make it to the basketball The brackets are very important when playing in this kind of sporting tournament because it gives you an idea and a clear picture of how the competition is progressing and which teams are most likely to lose or to win. Definitely teams who can't shoot good free throws are going to be kicked out of the tournament so don't basketball on teams that have bleak futures in the NCAA tournament.

Remember that over 2.5 billion dollars make up the NCAA bets, both legal and illegal, so betting on the NCAA Brackets for Final Four will definitely give you the upper hand and a chance to bring home that much money when your team becomes the 2009 NCAA champion. There is a lot at stake when it comes to the NCAA Brackets for Final Four, so always keep your NCAA college basketball tournament brackets in hand and analyze carefully the flow of the competition before putting all your money on a certain team. The interesting thing about the March Madness is that there will be a lot of surprising turns of events that you never imagined happening in the NCAA tournament. For instance, nobody expected the George Masons to make it until they were able to reach the NCAA Brackets for Final Four. To think that most people who watch the NCAA have never heard of the George Masons, but this team was able to make a name for its self when it landed a spot in the Final Four.

March Madness will always be one of the most adrenalin-rushing competitions this year, so if you're planning on placing your bets on any of the 65 teams, place them on the NCAA Final Four.

Chris Grisham is the creator of Basketball Crusher, the premier website for making money betting online sports. He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top NCAA Brackets for Final Four based on lines, trends, angles, and years of experience. Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.BasketballCrusher.com.

LeBron James Does These Workouts to Jump Higher - Do You?

Conditioning your body basketball improve your basketball skills can be basketball most difficult part in any athlete's training. Strength and quickness training can help improve your 3 point shooting, dribbling and passing, but the easiest aspect of your game to improve, is your jump height. Here are a few workouts that all of the pros use to increase their vertical leap height.

1. Hill Sprints! Find a hill around where you live that has a steady incline. The steeper the better for this workout. Start at the bottom and simply sprint as hard and as fast as to can. Keep the sprints limited to about 70 yards. Remember, with this workout, you are workout on quickness, not endurance. Do 6-8 hill sprints a day.

2. Core Workouts! Don't forget that your abs play a tremendous role in balance and overall explosive power. every morning when you wake up, do sit up, crunches, and v-ups. These 3 workouts combined will strengthen both your upper and lower abs. This is also important for cutting fat! If you had to hold a 10 pound dumbbell when you jumped, you wouldn't get as high as if you weren't holding it. Core workouts will help you strip away that extra weight.

3. Bulgarian Split Dead-Lift! The name is complicated, the workout is simple! Get a pair of dumbbells at a weight that feels comfortable to you (I started with 25 lb each but within 3 weeks I had moved up to 95 lb dumbbells). Put a bench about 2 feet behind you. Stand with the dumbbells hanging to your sides. Step back with 1 foot ad place the top of your foot on the bench with the sole of your shoe toward the sky. Now you are ready to begin. Squat down on the 1 leg until your knee is at a 90 degree angle and press yourself back up. Do 10 Reps of this workout for each leg. Try to do at least 5 sets.

For more tips to help increase your vertical jump height, check out The Jump Manual. This is the best program available to help increase your vertical jump fast!