By Suie Choi ’19, Staff Writer

“If you can play, you can play!”

This is the motto of the You Can Play Movement, an initiative introduced to Newark Academy by the Equity and Inclusion Team, that promotes and ensures equity and respect in sports for all, including athletes, coaches, and fans, regardless of background, gender, sexual orientation, or age. The movement provides an open, supportive, and safe atmosphere on fields and courts at Newark Academy by encouraging those in the locker rooms and stands to focus solely on an athlete’s skills, work ethic, and competitive spirit.

Sports are a tremendous part of the Newark Academy community. They are a vital activity open to all students, where they learn to challenge themselves, grow through competition, and succeed through teamwork. The determining characteristics that NA student-athletes exhibit are dedication on the field, effort put into the sport, and support for their teammates. Sports should unite athletes, rather than highlight their differences. Mrs. Powell-Caldwell explains the goal of the Equity and Inclusion team’s movement: “As a team, we seek to promote diversity, equity and justice in all aspects of school life… we need to continue to be proactive in our efforts to ensure that our student-athletes are judged on talent, heart, and work ethic, not sexual orientation and/or gender-identity.” This goal prompted the team to introduce the You Can Play Movement to NA.

NA’s athletic success would not be possible without each student’s commitment to the school’s policy of inclusion. Although inclusion is a top priority of many campus programs, it is the specific goal of the Equity and Inclusion Team to work towards this ideal. Jax Taylor ‘20, a member of the Team, adds, “Hopefully, the You Can Play Movement will shed some light on the issues of discrimination of any kind at NA by expanding emphasis on equity and inclusion to extracurriculars like sports, in addition to clubs some students might overlook such as GSA or UMOJAA.” Others see the role of the movement as expanding well beyond sports and extracurriculars into all aspects of academic and everyday life, a goal that requires constant effort.

As Dr. LaPadula says, “On many levels, we are an inclusive place, but we must not be complacent.” Dr. LaPadula stresses the importance of not waiting until someone is publicly hurt, humiliated, or disrespected before action is taken. In other words, the You Can Play Movement calls for a proactive stance rather than simply relying on Newark Academy’s mission statement and claims of acceptance by all. Even though NA has an established history of diversity, the You Can Play Movement, according to Dr. LaPadula, offers a game plan for everyone that stresses an honest ongoing perception of inadequacies on the playing field. “It’s our job, as learners,” Dr. LaPadula explains, “to perceive just how tipped that field is, and toward whom.  Then we can say, ‘Hey – is there another way?’  And when that conversation starts, we really begin to play.”

Clearly, the You Can Play Movement offers a very important message for the NA community: Belief in diversity can never be taken for granted. It is a commitment that requires continual evaluation to include everyone.