2 of America's Oldest Sports Were Invented in Massachusetts

They say that there are only two guarantees in life which are death and taxes. However, there is one more thing that is a guarantee and that is Massachusetts sports fans are some of the most passionate around. Whether it's baseball, football, hockey, or basketball, Massachusetts fans are quite loyal to the home team. In addition, Bay State fans can be hard on their team when they aren't playing well. It just goes to show how passionate we are when it comes to the love of the game.

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Did You Know That Two of the Oldest Sports in the United States Were Invented in Massachusetts?

With the passion that Massachusetts folks have for sports, it's fitting that two of America's oldest and most popular sports were invented in the Bay State. Both basketball and volleyball were invented in Massachusetts. According to various web sources, volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in 1895 in a YMCA gymnasium in Holyoke. Volleyball has grown quite significantly as it is currently one of the top five global sports and one of the most played sports in the world.

Many people already know that basketball is the other popular sport in America that was invented in Massachusetts, the city of Springfield to be exact. Oldest.org states the following:

The first known basketball court was built in 1891 by James Naismith, an instructor at Springfield College in Massachusetts. In the early 1900s, basketball became popular at American colleges and high schools across the country. Since then, it has become one of America’s most popular sports and has been played by millions of people worldwide.

Fun Fact: Only softball (1887), American football (1869), and lacrosse (1636) are older than basketball (1891) and volleyball (1895).

Now you have some historical information about each sport that you can brag to your friends and family about at the next gathering.

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Source: 2 of America’s Oldest Sports Were Invented in Massachusetts

Filed Under: Holyoke, Massachusetts, Springfield

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