What Happens When Rival Squads Face Off For Democracy?

By Elizabeth Carey for DyeStat

Collegiate teams have been challenging each other this fall in a new kind of competition. 

Rivals Washington State University and University of Washington faced off to see which athletic department could register more student-athletes to vote by National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 22. The athletes, many of whom will be first-time voters in a national election, learned about civic engagement along the way. 

If you’re rolling your eyes and about to tell me to keep politics out of sports, give me a second. Sports are intricately tied to public affairs and government (Think: funding, regulations, oversight). They’re especially “political” because they’re all about bodies and yet so much more than physical feats. They consist of whole humans whose experience and identities extend beyond the course, track and field — a point I'll come back to in a minute.

In the state of Washington, collegiate student-athletes, coaches and athletic department staff collaborated on the “Rivals United” competition. Organizers at both schools shared nonpartisan resources to educate participants about the history and impact of voting and other forms of community engagement. 

The first goal? Register 100 percent of eligible student-athletes to vote. Unlike the annual Apple Cup dual track meet, everyone’s winning. Both track and field programs hit the mark. 

John Whelan, coordinator of operations for track and field/cross country at WSU, attributes the success to driven student-athletes, school librarians and passionate athletic department staffers. The staffers, he said, are “doing incredible work not only helping with this initiative but also everything related to developing our student-athletes into great leaders and all around people, all while navigating the challenges of being limited to virtual-only events.” Whalen specifically thanked the WSU student-athlete development team’s Zach Dethomasis, Shelby McKay and Derrick Mitchell.

At UW, Maurica Powell, director of track and field and cross country said, “I’m super proud of the social justice initiatives, especially around voting, that we’ve implemented here at UW.” She specifically thanked the student-athlete development team’s Amy Wooten for her assistance.

The next step — actually voting — is up to the athletes.

“It’s on them," Whalen said. "We (in the track office) can only do so much. We can provide as much education as possible and then let them take charge after that.”

He has faith, though. These student-athletes are highly motivated high performers — in and out of their Cougars uniforms.

“At a bigger scale, that’s the mission of athletics, beyond championships,” he said. “We’re trying to produce great young people who are going to be the next leaders of our society, so this is an important part of that.”

Other schools reported get out the vote initiatives as well. The Rivals United initiative is part of a larger social justice movement embraced by collegiate sports. 

For all Division 1 student-athletes, finding the time for voting and civic engagement on Election Day will be easier. The NCAA recently prohibited practice and competition on the first Tuesday after November 1 yearly. This rule was proposed by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), as ESPN reported. It isn't a new concept, but it’s practical and reasonable. Columbia University, for example, honors Election Day with a university holiday without classes. 

Of course, voting isn’t the only thing athletes (or anyone) can do to contribute positively to their communities and country. And not everyone can vote, due to restrictions on age, citizenship and more. But voting is a crucial, basic opportunity. Our democracy, in fact, hinges on it. 

If you still need to check the status of your registration visit https://vote.gov/. Make a plan to vote, if you haven’t already, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Voting is under way across the country and Election Day is next Tuesday, Nov. 3. 

Elizabeth Carey (https://elizabethwcarey.com/) is a writer and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. Her first book, GIRLS RUNNING, co-authored with Melody Fairchild, is available at your local book store and here: https://shop.aer.io/GirlsRunning/p/Girls_Running_All_You_Need_to_Strive_Thrive_and_Run_Your_Best/9781948007184-9934.