Observance of Yom Kippur by Jewish athletes

The most famous example is baseball player Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers who refused to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series when it fell on Yom Kippur.

[1] Incidents such as those of Greenberg and Koufax throw into sharp highlight the conflict many Jewish people face between social pressures and personal beliefs on a daily basis.

Koufax refused to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur, garnering national attention for his decision which was seen an example of the conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs.

A secular Jew, Koufax opted to remain in his hotel room that day and, contrary to many rumors at the time, did not attend any Yom Kippur service.

[5][2] Other baseball players who have similarly sat out games on Yom Kippur include Kevin Youkilis, Brad Ausmus, and Art Shamsky.

[15] In 2011, golfer Laetitia Beck declined a request to join the University of North Carolina Tar Heels Invitational competition, because it conflicted with Yom Kippur.