By Abby Campbell
Sorry, student-athletes - I’m not talking about an endline or sideline. I’m talking about the line between where we can speak our thoughts freely and where we are told to keep our mouths shut due to the name on the jerseys we wear. I’m talking about the line between advocating for ourselves and what the public sees as advocating as our teams. I’m talking about the blurred line between individual and team.
Where is the line? Many student-athletes, including myself, ask when wanting to speak out about social injustices, politics in the world, etc. Whether it is because we are afraid of administrative actions, afraid of coachs’ actions, or afraid of consequences later in life. But for a long time, this taught me to never speak up for myself, to never say how I feel. That the consequences of any coach would always be worse than speaking up. It’s spread to most parts of my life, not just athletics.
With the fresh announcement of going Division I and the newly integrated NCAA rule of allowing players to interact with brands and get sponsors, we should rethink this stigma. Let me acknowledge some things: Yes, there are always going to be lines on exercising your freedom of speech. These can come from your employers, from brands/sponsors, from your relatives - the list goes on and on. And sometimes these lines are in place for good reason.
Which lines are the ones you cross and know that it’s for a better future? Which lines are the ones you stay on one side of, with the crossing of it being too harmful to do?
For a long time, I struggled with finding the line. Sometimes, I still do. Specifically, as a student-athlete for fourteen years, the line there always seemed harder to find than in other areas of my life.
Maybe it was because a coach just didn’t communicate enough, or it was scenario-based on how they would react and you could never predict their reaction. From being benched to being lectured at-length at, to feeling so suppressed I didn’t dare utter a peep. Even when student-athletes are given an “outlet,” it always seems to be pre-approved by multiple higher-ups, and don’t even think about “surprising” higher-ups with a post on social media (yes, trust me they will find that post).
At the beginning of every season, I give a mini-speech to my kids I coach - no matter what, always tell me how you feel. Even if you think it will offend me. Break the cycle.
Talking it out together in person will always beat the alternative of me finding out through someone else. Especially if it’s something that hinders or hurts you and I could have done something to fix it earlier.
Sometimes I think I should take my own advice. So here I am, speaking out on an issue that’s bothered me for over a decade. A lot of the time, speaking up for yourself has plenty more benefits than downfalls. But please be smart about it.
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