“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision.”

Sports icon Muhammad Ali has always been regarded as one of the most socially active athletes the world has ever seen. Many see his anti-war activism outside of the ring as what truly developed his public identity.

For decades, American athletes of all sports have used their professions as a platform to voice their political views and ideas. Although popular in Ali’s time, activism in sports lost some of its momentum in the late ‘80s and ‘90s due to a lack of politically active athletes. Today, however, political and social activism in sports has made a remarkable comeback.

The stances that American athletes have made in the past came in many shapes and forms. Older star athletes like Bill Russell, Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali found that the best way to voice their political ideas was by using their position in sports to actively develop stances on policy to benefit everyday Americans. On the other hand, athletes such as Curt Schilling, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pat Tillman used their position in sports to enter a political office or enlist in the military.

As issues in the United States constantly evolve, the sports world follows. For the last decade, more and more pertinent athletes have taken controversial stances regarding certain racial matters.

In response to the 2012 Trayvon Martin and 2014 Eric Garner incidents, Derrick Rose, LeBron James and the entire Miami Heat team wore black t-shirts voicing their dismay. The University of Missouri football team went on a hunger strike in November of 2015 to protest that they felt the University consistently mistreated black students. These incidents were just part of the outrage coming from the sports world.

Following the shooting of Michael Brown, the entire St. Louis Rams team (now Los Angeles Rams) held their hands in the air in support of the “hands up, don’t shoot” movement. Tennis star Serena Williams took to social media following the shooting of Philando Castile last June to portray her disgust with what happened.

All of these athletes were met with an array of both strong support and stark criticism for their actions. None of these protests, however, has been quite as controversial as the recent protest led by Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, dominated the sports news cycle when he first refused to stand for the national anthem back in August of 2016.  Kaepernick said he was protesting the treatment of African Americans in the United States by staying seated on the bench during the national anthem. He plans to continue the protest until he feels that the black community is being treated fairly.

Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem has sparked a major controversy in the world of sports. Many athletes, such as U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe, have come out in support of Kaepernick by copying his actions. Other big names in sports such as quarterback Drew Brees and University of Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney have supported the message but have also warned against using the American flag and anthem as tools for protest.

For many Americans, the national anthem and flag symbolize national pride, bravery and freedom. After flashing a pair of socks that portray cartoon pigs dressed as police officers during a team practice, Kaepernick angered thousands of football fans across the nation. Videos of Kaepernick’s jersey being set to flames popped up all across social media. On the flip side, President Obama and many veterans have come out in support of Kaepernick’s first amendment right to protest.

This onslaught of activism has affected all levels of sports in the United States. Recently, Garfield High School’s entire football team in Seattle took a knee during the national anthem at one of their games.

White Station High School football player Garrett Sapp (11) has been closely following this recent trend of activism while developing his own opinion on recent protests.

“I think activism has a very important place in sports because sports players are on such a huge platform and can influence so many people that they should utilize that platform and speak out on certain issues, but it has to be done in a respectful way,” Sapp said.

Switching between the positions of backup quarterback and tight end for the Spartan football team, Sapp knows the role that Kaepernick plays on the San Francisco 49ers. When questioned if he would use high school football as a platform to voice his political views, Sapp found it imperative that athletes not disrespect the views of others while protesting.

“If I had the opportunity to use my high school football platform to voice my issues I would definitely take advantage of that opportunity and voice my opinions,” Sapp said. “I believe that staying quiet is the worst thing you can do. If no one talks about the issue and gets a conversation started, then the issues can fester up and possibly come to a violent outburst, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and I would have to be very careful to stay respectful of everyone’s belief while voicing my own.”

The political climate of the United States today is one of tension and uncertainty. As the country moves into a new era of social issues, many feel that positive race relations have weakened. Issues of police brutality, law enforcement protection and income inequality have become very prevalent in the world of sports today. How this trend of sports activism will affect the role of athletes is uncertain. As long as there is something to protest, however, American athletes will continue to use their position in sports to influence the political realm around them.