It is said “necessity” is the mother of all invention.

That may have been true in 1891 when James Naismith, a YMCA athletic director in Springfield, Mass., needed to find a game students could play in a relatively small indoor space, safe from the harsh New England winters.

In December of that year, Naismith did something that had not been done in a millennium. He devised a completely new sport, not evolved from any other known game, using two peach baskets he nailed to the walls and a soccer ball. Using elements from hockey, soccer and American football, he created a game that relied more on skill than strength, and finesse than force.

“Naismith’s Game” eventually came to be known as basketball. There were just 13 rules back then, written on two sheets of paper and nailed to the wall outside the room where the game was played.

Basketball was an instant hit.

The sport has come a very long way since that first game more than 100 years ago. It has evolved from a made-up game in the Northeast into a worldwide competitive sport played in more than 50 countries. Today, it is one of the most popular sports, played by some of the biggest athletes on the planet.

It’s also a favorite among gay athletes right here in San Diego, and has been for almost 10 years.

The San Diego Hoops was founded in the fall of 1999 by Mark Jacobson. Back then only five teams competed in a 10-week schedule. Since then the popularity of the league has grown to eight teams playing a full 18-week schedule.

While the regular season begins around October and ends around March or early April, the Hoops host what’s called an “open gym” for gay athletes interested in playing basketball, but who may not be able to make the commitment to a full season.

Open gym is an informal gathering of players on Wednesday nights, and will run through the end of summer. Anyone interested in playing can simply show up at the basketball gym at Alliant University and pay a small fee of $6 to cover the cost of the facilities.

These pick-up basketball games are played with the standard five-player format, and it’s first come, first served. At 6 p.m., organizers place a sign-up sheet on a table, and the first 10 players to arrive will play the first game. The following group of five players will play the winner of the first game, and so on. To ensure all players get at least some court time, no team is allowed to stay on the court for more than two consecutive wins.

While the games are unofficiated, “jungle rules” most certainly do not apply. Most of Naismith’s original 13 rules do, as well as all of the newer ones. Teams and players are expected to police themselves and play fairly.

Because players are divided into light and dark teams, you are asked to bring a white shirt as well as a dark blue or black shirt. Players are asked to bring both, because you won’t know which team you’ll be placed on until you arrive. Green, orange, gray and red shirts are frowned upon, because it is not immediately obvious if they are light or dark.

If you understand the fundamental rules of basketball and want to meet new people in a fun and social environment, then open gym is a great way to cut your teeth with the San Diego Hoops.

You don’t have to be a member of the league to come and join in open gym, which lasts from 6-8 p.m.

In addition to these informal summer get-togethers, the Hoops also host The Hillcrest Classic, a tournament of gay basketball players from across the country held annually since 2000. Next year’s tournament will be held over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, January 11-13.

By simply visiting the league’s new Web site at www.sdhoops.net, you can get directions to Alliant University’s sports complex, information on how to join the league if you choose, as well as helpful links to basketball-related apparel and news.

The Hoops’ Web site has recently undergone a major facelift and is much more user friendly than it has been in recent years.

The original 13 rules of basketball written on two pieces of paper by James Naismith were recently purchased by the Smithsonian Institute for $5 million. The money went to a foundation managed by Naismith’s heirs to continue the tradition of improving sportsmanship in youth basketball. The parchments had been locked away by the family for most of the last 116 years. They are now on public display for the first time since that game back in 1891.

The Café on Park Masterbatters, the D Division champions from this last spring’s softball season, is hosting a fund-raiser on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Café on Park restaurant on Park Boulevard from 2-5 p.m. You can enjoy the great menu at regular price, be served by players from the team, and all your tips will go to the team for its trip to the gay softball world series held in Phoenix this October.