Washington Coalition of Women’s Professional Sports announced by DC professional sports teams

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - The Washington Mystics, Washington Spirit, DC Divas and DC Shadow have formed a coalition in association with Leveling the Playing Field aimed at connecting and supporting the DMV region’s women’s sports teams.

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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.

"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."

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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.

"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."

Leveling the Playing Field was founded in 2013 in response to the growing inequity between those that can afford to play sports and those that cannot, and the prominent role the cost of sporting goods has played in that gap. Leveling the Playing Field’s core mission is to redistribute equipment to expand access and equity within youth sports and recreation programs in under-resourced communities.

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"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."