Einstein's Forgotten Law of Sports Relativity

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Einstein’s Forgotten Law of Sports Relativity

There is a certain power in being involved in something bigger than oneself. No matter where you stand on a team, being part of the movement satisfies emotional thirsts that cannot be quenched elsewhere. It’s that feeling you get by being able to say that you were there when we hit the game winning buzzer-beater shot. Memories of making that shot will stick with an athlete forever, those memories will even send goose bumps down any spectator’s spine. That moment sealed in history. But what if things went differently that day, what if when it was time for tip off, that athlete, the hometown hero, was stuck watching from the bleachers? Wayne Gretzky once said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”, but what if you never even get to make that choice? Coaches often use the quote to encourage athletes to overcome fears and to give it their best shot. But what if, due to time requirements, distractions that sports bring, or whatever other excuse parents and educators can coax up, they decide to take away the ball altogether?

Participating in school sports helps the athlete, the school, and the community as a whole. Dreams are born in courts, fields and arenas across the nation. They can also be lost with the sound of a swish followed swiftly by a buzzer or by a quick running back on a kick off return with only seconds left in the fourth quarter. Being a part of school sports is often the highlight of the year for some students, such environments harbor friendships that can last a lifetime and can teach participants lessons that aren’t learned elsewhere. Lessons like getting back up, and fighting until the end. Lessons of victory and defeat, and holding your head high no matter what ...

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...enedict, Jeff. "My Decision: Why I Made the Difficult Decision to Leave Duke for the NBA." SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. Sports Illustrated, 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 May 2014. .

Bryant, Charles W., and Joseph Clifton. A Comparison Of Student-Athletes' Grades In-Season Vs. Out-Of-Season At Trenton State University. n.p.: 1990. ERIC. Web. 18 May 2014.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.

Press, Associated. "Shaq Earns Education doctorate." ESPN. ESPN, 05 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2014. .

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