As high school sports returned for the first time in the US this week, one baseball team took a stand by kneeling during the national anthem.

The entire Roosevelt High School varsity baseball team took a knee as the national anthem played at its season opener in the US state of Iowa.

Team members said they did it to support the ongoing protests for social justice and racial equality.

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Watch the moment in the video below

Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks are just three of the victims of police brutality this year and protests in their honour continue across the country.

As sports resume, people are watching how athletes react to the national outcry when they go onto the field.

Athletes have been taking a knee during the national anthem to stand against police brutality since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the movement in 2016.

In this case, it wasn’t an MLB or NFL player kneeling that brought attention to a cause. It was a high school team.

“No disrespect to the flag. It’s simply to bring attention to the issues at hand, and I think we did the right thing,” Roosevelt senior Alex Pendergast told CNN.

The team’s leadership stands by its players kneeling, Roosevelt High School Activities Manager Tracy Johnson said.

“It made me feel good because our kids are in it together,” Johnson said.

“We want those kids to be able to express themselves, and it was neat for us to see all of our kids do that.”

The National Federation of State High School Associations confirmed to CNN that Iowa was the first state to resume high school sports since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.