#LetUsPlay.

That is a popular and powerful hashtag on social media right now. Ohio State QB Justin Fields has been speaking out loudly about the Big 10’s decision not to play football this fall, and over the last month or so, Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence has been a leading voice in the same movement. They, and others, have been clear and rational in their expressions, and they have been effective. The hashtag and similar voices have recently been heard in my area from young people who have potentially lost their chance to play sports and take part in extracurricular activities as their districts attempt to deal with student and staff safety in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. The young voices have often been incredibly mature, passionate, and thoughtful. They are voices we can be proud of, and they have sometimes been much more effective and rational than those of much more seasoned individuals. 

For a long time, I have been an advocate for young people having a voice, and I believe those voices should be respected and listened to. This should not be limited to athletes. Today, I am not going to focus on the arguments or positions these young voices are expressing; there is something just as or even more important to discuss. The voice itself is important, and the fact that people are listening is significant. The voice is proving legitimate, and its value is undeniable. The young people should have a voice that is not just heard but is listened to. You may not agree with the idea the voices carry, you may not change your position, and you may argue against those ideas, but the voices themselves, just like the people raising them, have inherent value. We can agree on that, right?

Now, I ask a question: Have you been as willing and supportive of giving young people the opportunity to be heard and valued, or did that only start now, as sports seasons are threatened? When young men the same age as Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence expressed their willingness to exercise their rights and use their platform to push for an investigation of racist activity on campus, when a star running back voiced a hesitation to play beneath a Confederate battle flag, or when one conference’s athletes asked for assurances that their health and safety concerns would be in the forefront of decision making, was your first thought “Shut up and play” or “They’re just kids. They don’t know how the world works.” I remember reading comments when Kansas State’s football team collectively announced a boycott of activities so their voices would be heard in regard to policies addressing racist groups on campus. Many expressed the “ridiculousness” of allowing 18-22 year olds to demand a voice and “hijack” the program. The same thing happened when Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill said he would not play for MSU if the state flag continued to display the confederate flag. The same people quickly shifted to “This young man gets it” when Lawrence exercised those same rights. Why is that? 

I read a Tweet last night from a college athlete, the son of a college coach for whom I have a great deal of respect. The young man posted “Everyone who is saying ‘let us play’ and ‘we want a season’ obviously don’t want to play that bad if they won’t make a sacrifice to stop going out and start social distancing to slow the spread down for them to be able to have a season.” He wants to play, and he wants others to have that chance. But he is also taking dead aim at the massive elephant in the room. Did his words make you feel a little defensive? Bristle a little? Then yes, he is talking to you. If you have done everything you can, you are in the same unfair boat as he is. And his voice is just as worthy as the others.

There’s the rub. If we are going to support young people having a voice, if we are going to teach them how to use that voice to present thoughtful and passionate positions on issues they feel strongly about and are knowledgeable in, we have to respect those voices, even when they express views we may not fully endorse. In essence, we are saying, “I am going to listen to you, I am going to consider your thoughts and feelings, and I want you to think for yourself.” Whether you believe it or not, that is what many teachers have been trying to do in our classrooms for a long time. 

So, adults rallying behind our young people and lifting up their voices at this moment: I applaud you. The young people deserve that support and respect. You are helping reinforce the lessons we have been teaching. Be prepared. Remember how strongly you supported these voices at this time when, down the road at some point, they are raised in a position counter to your thinking or in a way that makes you uncomfortable. It is going to happen at some point. We need it to happen. We REALLY do. Be prepared to listen, to take it in, to think, and, as part of the conversation, to express your ideas, not from a place of “because I said so” but from a place of “let’s get it right” not “I am right.” That’s something I know I have to continue to work on. 

And hold on to that hashtag. #LetUsPlay is meaningful. #LetThemSpeak and #LetUsListen are even more important.