In association with Leveling the Playing Field, the Washington Mystics, Washington Spirit, DC Divas and DC Shadow have formed a coalition aimed at connecting and supporting the DMV region’s women’s sports teams.
The Washington Coalition of Women’s Professional Sports (WCWPS) will serve as a supportive organization for all women’s sports programs and professional clubs in the greater Washington, D.C. region.
Driven by a mission to purposefully and significantly impact the Greater Washington community by connecting the region’s women’s professional sports teams through service-focused collaboration, the coalition is the first joint effort across these select teams.
The Washington Coalition of Women’s Professional Sports seeks to kick off the next 50 years of Title IX with the intention of creating a prosperous future for women’s sports in the DMV.
“On behalf of the entire Leveling the Playing Field team, we are beyond thrilled to play a role in building this coalition of phenomenal women’s professional sports teams here in the DMV region,” said Kaitlin Brennan, Director of Operations at LPF.
“The District of Champions loves our women’s sports teams, and now we also look forward to celebrating and uplifting this coalition,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We know that when women lead, our communities succeed. And when women come together to lead, we become a powerful driving force for impact, equity, and access.”
Rich Daniel, Owner and Team President of DC Divas said: “I can’t imagine a better time for us to team up for the greater good. As we approach the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the coalition can now begin its work on leveling the playing field for generations to come.”
“We are so excited about what we are building together through this coalition,” said Zoe Wulff, Community Relations Manager for the Washington Spirit. “We all have a shared interest in further elevating the local community here in DC, and furthering the positive impact women’s sports have within the region and the industry as a whole.”
“DC Shadow is thrilled to partner with other local women’s professional sports teams to support and bring focus to women’s sports, as well as collaborate on important community initiatives,” said DC Shadow head coach Sam Broaddus.
“The teams have already begun working together to support Leveling the Playing Field and their incredible mission of increasing kids’ access to sports by getting sports equipment to groups and communities that need them most,” Broaddus continued. “We look forward to working within the coalition to support one another and have a positive impact on the DC community.”
“We’re honored to partner alongside our fellow women’s sports teams here in Washington, DC and to rally together for such an important cause,” said Alycen McAuley, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Washington Mystics. “If we can remove just one of the many barriers that stop girls from continuing their sport participation, we can foster more of the women leaders of tomorrow.”
This year, the WCWPS will set the foundation for service initiatives that provide resources to the wider women’s sports community in the region. The coalition’s first initiative will be in partnership with Level the Playing Field and focus on a sports bra collection drive with the goal of collecting 5,000 donated bras.
“With nearly a decade of experience in working throughout the youth sports realm, we have seen firsthand the additional barriers that girls from under-resourced communities face simply to have the opportunity to play sports. This coalition is already helping to remove some of those barriers through collecting new sports bras for local girls in need, as well as providing additional visibility for women in sports,” said Brennan.
“At the conclusion of the drive, WCWPS will be donating the sports bras to girls and women across the DMV region as a first step in ensuring that all girls and women playing sports have access to the necessary equipment,” stated Brennan.
Now we’ll see how many other cities start to follow this coalition’s blueprint.