THE INSPIRATION: On a sunny day last September, Najah Aqeel was excitedly warming up for her second volleyball game of the season. “I was determined to win,” says the Nashville, Tennessee, sophomore. But before Najah could start the game, the referees said her headscarf violated rules about what players could wear.
Like many other Muslim women and girls, Najah covers her head with a religious garment called a hijab when she’s in public. According to the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), which oversees the teams at Najah’s school, players must request written authorization to wear religious headgear such as hijabs during games.
The referees gave Najah a choice: remove her hijab or sit out of the game. “My scarf is a part of me,” Najah says. She couldn’t imagine playing without it. Feeling confused and angry, she walked off the court.
THE ACTION: After Najah’s teammates encouraged her to share her story on social media, other female Muslim athletes who also wear hijabs joined her campaign to change the rules for high school athletes.
Eventually, the NFHS agreed to vote on whether high school players should be allowed to wear religious head coverings during games without written permission.
THE OUTCOME: The NFHS committees for several sports, including volleyball, voted to change the rule. (Other sports committees are expected to vote soon.) Najah was thrilled. “It was overwhelming in a good way,” she says.
The change in the rules about headgear will also benefit student athletes of other religions, including Jewish athletes who wear head coverings called kippahs (also called yarmulkes) and Sikh athletes who wear turbans. Najah is excited to start her next volleyball season knowing that she and other student athletes will be treated fairly, thanks to her determination. “If you want to make a change, I say go for it,” she says. “Don’t let anyone hold you back. It feels really good to help people.”