Einstein's Forgotten Law of Sports Relativity There is a certain power in being involved in something bigger than ourselves. No matter where you are on a team, being part of the movement satisfies the emotional thirst that can't be satisfied elsewhere. It's that feeling you get when you can say you were there when we threw the winning shot. The memory of that shot will remain imprinted on the athlete forever and will give goosebumps to any spectator. That moment sealed in history. But what would have happened if things had gone differently that day, if at the tip-off that athlete, the hero of his city, had remained watching from the stands? Wayne Gretzky once said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take," but what if you can't even make that call? Coaches often use the quote to encourage athletes to overcome fears and do their best. But what happens if, due to time constraints, the distractions that sport entails or any other excuse parents and educators can find, they decide to remove the ball altogether? Participation in school sports helps the athlete, the school and the community as a whole. Total. Dreams are born in courts, fields and arenas across the nation. They can also be missed with the sound of a whoosh followed quickly by a buzzer-beater or a quick running return on a kickoff with only seconds left in the fourth quarter. Participating in school sports is often the highlight of the year for some students; such environments nurture friendships that can last a lifetime and can teach participants lessons that cannot be learned elsewhere. Lessons how to get up and fight to the end. Lessons in victory and defeat and keeping your head high no matter what… middle of paper… Bless you, Jeff. “My Decision: Why I Made the Difficult Decision to Leave Duke for the NBA.” SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. Sports Illustrated, April 17, 2014. Web. May 29, 2014. .Bryant, Charles W., and Joseph Clifton. A comparison of in-season student-athlete grades to student-athlete grades. Offseason at Trenton State University. np: 1990. ERIC. Network. May 18, 2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between physical activity at school, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.Press, Associate. “Shaq Gets Doctorate in Education.” ESPN. ESPN, May 5, 2012. Web. May 29 2014. .