Today’s college athletics look different than ever before.
Among recent developments are name, image and likeness deals, commonly referred to as NIL.
NIL allows a player to market themselves as an individual brand and profit from that marketing, which previously only their institutions were allowed to do.
For Addison Pollock, a sophomore volleyball player at the University of Pennsylvania, one NIL opportunity means more to her than most others, and that’s not because of the potential profit or brand exposure associated with it. It’s because of what it stands for.
The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, commonly referred to as Blue Square Alliance or simply Blue Square, is a nonprofit founded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft that aims to unite Americans against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.
Each year, the Blue Square Alliance announces a new class of college athletes to help carry its message on campuses and beyond. This year, Addison Pollock is in the newest class. She’s excited, given her pride in her Jewish heritage and her knowledge of the Blue Square Alliance coming in.
“Me and a bunch of my family members and my friends, we all follow them on Instagram, and some of them sign up for the Blue Square emails. And so after the first round of ambassadors, I saw other posts, and I was kind of inspired,” Pollock said. “I just thought that it is something I really wanted to be a part of, and so I just searched it up online. I just did the application, and the rest of it kind of follows.”
With the Blue Square Alliance, Pollock will continue to be proudly Jewish on a bigger stage, helping amplify the organization’s message against hate while playing a Division I sport.
As a DI athlete, Pollock knows her stature looms large to young athletes and Jews everywhere.
“[Joining the Blue Square Alliance] was definitely more about using my platform to my advantage, not just for brands, but to inspire other people and also fight antisemitism,” Pollock said.
She added she really hasn’t met many other Jews in the volleyball world, giving her a heightened sense of duty to represent her culture.
“I remember I was coaching at Penn volleyball camp last year, and I had one girl ask me why I chose my jersey number, which is 18, and I was like, ‘Oh, it means ‘chai’ in the Jewish religion, and it’s like a lucky number.’ And one of the girls was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m Jewish! This is so exciting! I never see any Jewish volleyball players,’” Pollock said.
Pollock and the girl took a picture. It was a special moment for them both.
“I just saw how inspired she was, and excited to see somebody else who was Jewish in her sport and in our sport. And so that was kind of the spark to the flame that led me to want to use my platform as a way to inspire other people and use my platform to fight against antisemitism,” she said.
Pollock said the only time she found herself surrounded by Jews was at summer camp. She even remembers explaining Yom Kippur to her youth volleyball team at one point just to have someone ask what “Jewish” is.
“That really stuck with me,” she said.
On campus at Penn, Pollock’s partnership with the Blue Square Alliance gives her another way to advocate against antisemitism and share her Jewish identity.
“We commit to advocacy against any hate that we face, and to teach others how to do so. We have these Instagram posts that we collaborate with the Blue Square Alliance on, and I think that’s honestly one of the most important parts of the deal, because social media is such a big part of everything — every brand, every person, even in sports,” Pollock said. “So I think having Blue Square posts on our social media is a big part of that because being Jewish and fighting antisemitism is such a big part of my brand, and of what I want people to know about me.”
Whether it’s on the court, in the classroom or elsewhere, Pollock plans to be proud about her Jewish identity. With the Blue Square Alliance, she now has more resources to do so.
aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com