DARKE COUNTY – Did you know that basketball was invented at the Y in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891?

James Naismith was tasked with inventing a game that wasn’t too rough, didn’t take up too much room and was fair to all players. He came up with basketball as a way to keep a rowdy class of young men conditioned for track and busy with an athletic endeavor during the harsh New England winters.

The YMCA of Darke County has a youth co-ed basketball league beginning in January at both the Versailles and Greenville branches. There will be two age groups, one for ages 4-6 and one for ages 7-10.

Registration is open now for the leagues with a registration deadline of Jan. 8. Pre-season for the 7-10 age group is Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. in Versailles and 11 a.m. in Greenville. (No pre-season for the 4-6 age groups.)

The season runs through March 5 with practice or games each Saturday. The league is $25 for members and $50 for potential members. All participants will receive a T-shirt.

This is a fundamental league designed to help build basic skills. Volunteer coaches are crucial to the league’s success, and a meeting for volunteer coaches is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 13 in Greenville and 7 p.m. in Versailles. Interested parties should attend one of the meetings.

Questions may be directed to Tyler Roberts at [email protected] or 548-3777.