College Athletics Must Do Its Part to Combat Antisemitism

As a Jew who lived in Israel for two years in my early twenties and even spent time participating in an Israel Defense Force bootcamp (Gadna), the war between Israel and Hamas has had a significant impact on me. While reflecting on the ongoing tragedy and the resulting rise in antisemitism, I was glad to come across an article (linked below) that really resonated with me as a blend of my feelings as an educator and coach. As you know, I have a passion for the nature of sport, and I always believed (perhaps naively) college sports to be a venue where we temporarily transcend issues that divide us and simply compete. As they say, “If you can play, you can play.”

This optimistic idea of a neutral, level playing field cannot exist when students feel at risk of discrimination or even violence in their daily lives. When hate speech rears its head on U.S. college campuses, particularly blatant acts of antisemitic rhetoric, I take note of how the safety of students and student-athletes is put at risk. I monitor how each university’s administrators react to hate speech and take it into consideration when I am recommending schools to student-athletes who have entrusted me to be an advisor.

I feel compelled to acknowledge the rise in antisemitism, call it out where I see it, and take a stand on behalf of all my clients looking for a safe space to go to college, play their sport and thrive. My impact might be relatively small, but if I can prevent even one student from going to college at a place where the administration is too weak to take a stand against hate speech, then I will feel I have done something. What can you do through your involvement in sport and position in the community to ensure that all students and student-athletes feel safe, welcome and part of their community with equal opportunities? What can you do with your voice?