Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Young athletes have valuable viewpoints, too

Roaming the sidelines of high school sporting events has afforded me a window into the minds of some of our area's youth.

Roaming the sidelines of high school sporting events has afforded me a window into the minds of some of our area's youth.

Over the years, I've blushed, blanched, and laughed at what I've heard.

Admittedly, much of it led me to an early conclusion: When it comes to matters of social import, a high schooler's mind is not where I'd go to find an informed opinion.

Upon reflection, however, it seems clear that in some situations, our youth are uniquely qualified to speak - and deserve to be heard.

While it's true that some of our young people are uninformed or ill-informed or just avoid information altogether, to paint them all in such a manner would be to repeat a costly mistake.

The breadth of that brush is far too similar to the strokes used by those whose stereotypical thoughts, attitudes, and actions force us to have this conversation in the first place.

"A lot of those opinions are coming from people who haven't had experiences with the police," said 17-year-old Mastery North senior Khalil Nelson.

"So, if someone were to say that to me, they most likely don't know what it's like to have had that experience," Nelson added. "If there was something that I didn't have any experience on, I wouldn't speak on it in a good way or a bad way because I wouldn't know exactly what's going on."

Nelson, an honor student heavily involved in extracurricular activities, is the captain of the Pumas football team, which collectively took a knee during the national anthem before its Public League game Saturday against Overbrook.

After seeing Mastery North players kneel, Overbrook's players also knelt.

The act, of course, came after NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who first sat during "The Star Spangled Banner" in the preseason and now kneels, sparked national debate about social injustice.

Before Kaepernick and other high-profile athletes dropped to a knee, Nelson said, he faced similar injustice.

In the summer of 2015, Nelson said, he and four or five friends had a confrontation with police when the group was stopped while walking in Nicetown around 8 p.m.

"That just changed how many people I walk around with or what area I walked around [in] . . . or even what I [wear]," he said. "Just having a hoodie on . . . I don't even walk around with a hoodie anymore because it's just asking to get pulled over. But it's sad that I have to take those precautions and do those certain things in order to be safe."

Nelson called the incident "traumatizing" and said he now leaves his wallet on the dashboard and his cellphone in a holder in plain sight when he drives, a practice taught by his father, Reginald.

"Once a cop comes to your car, he wants to be safe, and you want to be safe," Reginald Nelson said. "In order for you both to be safe, these are some of the things you can do."

The father also expressed pride because his son educated himself about the issues before acting. And when asked if he had concerns about making the story public, Reginald Nelson did not back away.

"This is something that he experienced, and it traumatized him," the elder Nelson said. "It made him a little uneasy about police officers, so the story should be told."

To be clear, social injustice isn't just about negative or fatal experiences with police officers, the vast majority of whom protect and serve with honor and dignity.

The Nelsons also intend no disrespect to military personnel. Khalil Nelson's older sister, a Temple graduate, is in the Air Force reserve. His older brother, a Mastery North graduate, is a Gates millennium scholar at Bucknell.

Khalil Nelson mentors kids at the school, serves on a leadership committee, does community service, and plays the cello in the school orchestra.

So if you're tempted to dismiss the thoughts and actions of our young people as copycats, mindlessly following the lead of older athletes, pull up a chair and engage them.

You might be pleasantly surprised.

"Just make sure people are knowledgeable before they judge a person," Khalil Nelson advised. "Get to know the person, because you could end up liking that person, and it could be a totally different thing."

Cartera@phillynews.com

@AceCarterINQ