4 things to know about the Christian origins of basketball
4. Early spread of basketball, Christianity to the Far East
Missionaries carried their love of basketball — along with the Gospel — to help further evangelization efforts overseas around the turn of the 20th century.
Around 1895, YMCA missionaries brought basketball to China, where it spread rapidly through mission schools and urban centers such as Shanghai and Tianjin. Eventually, the sport became a tool for engaging youth, with many first encountering Christianity via YMCA basketball programs.
Interestingly, it’s believed American female missionaries first brought basketball to Japan in girls’ mission schools as early as 1902, as many as six years before widespread YMCA adoption. Teachers like Harriet Alling and Mariana Young may have incorporated the game into physical education and field days, using it to promote “true womanhood” and Christian character in line with Muscular Christianity ideals adapted for women.
