What's innovation?
Did you know?
Did you know that breakaway rims were first used in 1981?
Before then, a slam dunk could shatter the backboard of a basketball net!
Are you ready to learn about innovation? Let’s begin!
Try it!
When you think of the word “innovation,” what are a few words, images, or ideas that come to mind?
Record your ideas in the following mind map provided or in another method of your choice.
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Being innovative
Nikola Jokić
I have to grow. It allows me to look at my mistakes and evaluate them and try to see how I can do better.
Nikola Jokić, #15 of the Denver Nuggets (2023), handles the ball against Caleb Martin, #16 of the Miami Heat (2023), and Bam Adebayo, #13 of the Miami Heat (2023), June 9, 2023.
Do you know what it means to be innovative?
According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, innovation skills “include the capacity to develop concepts, ideas, or products for the purpose of contributing innovative solutions to economic, social, and environmental problems.”
Source:
Ministry of Education. (2020). Transferable skills. Government of Ontario. https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/transferable-skills
Invention and innovation
Do you know the difference between ‘innovation’ and ‘invention’?
Definition
Invention
An invention is the creation of a totally new product, activity, or service. Inventors create new devices, technology, or processes by assembling previously unrelated elements in a new or novel way.
Innovation
Innovation is the application of new materials, new technology, or new ideas to an existing product, activity, or service. An innovation does not always involve a change to the product or service itself.
For example, the NBA wasn’t the first professional basketball league, but it was the first to play in large arenas in major cities.
NBA Moment
The first NBA game was played on November 1st, 1946 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada. The court was half the size of a present-day National Basketball Association court.
The NBA App
More recently, the NBA App has been innovated by adding a new hub that personalizes the user experience to immerse fans in what’s happening in the league while providing content recommendations. The app also includes real-time highlights from NBA games.
Think
What’s an innovation you can apply to basketball as it’s currently played?
Take a moment and reflect on your learning!
Try it!
Place the following cards into categories that best match.
Recall that an innovation is a new idea applied to an existing product, while an invention is a new device, technology, or product.
Innovative solutions
Explore this!
Check out the following video from the Toronto Raptors' inaugural game from 1995.
The clip begins with a brief summary of the Toronto Huskies, Toronto's first team, and builds to a celebration of the new Toronto Raptors.
In what ways are major basketball games presently different? In what ways have they remained the same?
Try it!
What is an innovation you think could be applied to any sport of your choice?
Recall the innovation in the previous video where holes were added to the baskets to speed up the game.
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First, outline a perceived problem in a sport.
This problem can reflect the game itself, its rules, or products, and technology related to the sport. -
Next, outline your solution.
What innovation can be made to alleviate or prevent your previously stated problem?
Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.
If you intend to conduct research for this activity, press Key Points to access additional details.
If you intend to do some research for this activity, keep the following in mind:
It is important to use reliable sources so that you can put together accurate and up-to-date information about your topic.
Websites ending with .com, .org, and .net can be purchased and used by any person.
The ending .org is usually used by non-profit organizations which may be trying to persuade rather than educate.
Websites ending in .edu are reserved for colleges and universities. Canadian websites have a .ca ending.
Consider the following questions when you are doing your reliability check. You might also ask a trusted adult or a peer for help if you are uncertain about a website.
- When was the resource published? (Note: This might help you determine if the information is current.)
- Who created the resource/website? What is their educational background or work experience?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Who benefits from this information being shared?
- Whose perspectives are represented? Whose perspectives are missing?
Excellent work! You may continue to reflect about innovation, and how it’s impacted sports and everyday life. But first, you deserve a break!