CIVIC LEADERSHIP

Our mission is to develop our athletes as civic leaders and elevate them as role models for the next generation of athletes and fans. In doing so, we aim to create a community of athletes and fans who recognize that the qualities that lead to excellence on the field are the same qualities that create strong civic leaders and participants in civic life.

Our Initiatives

• Power In My Voice
• Athlete Causes
• Intersectional Equity Working Group
• Impact Weeks
• Policies that Support Our Athletes
• Civic Leadership Award

POWER IN MY VOICE

Athletes Unlimited’s “Power in My Voice” is an initiative to demonstrate that everyone can have an impact by using their voice. Whether it is through voting, speaking up for a cause, standing up for your teammates and peers, or helping out in your community, every voice is powerful.

As part of this initiative, our athletes are choosing women who embody that power as civic leaders with our Women’s Wall and have curated book lists to amplify authors, stories, and topics that are important to them in partnership with Bookshop.org.

ATHLETE CAUSES

The Athlete Causes program provides our athletes with a platform and resources to support their development as civic leaders. We’ve partnered with Give Lively and the Give Lively Foundation to allow athletes to play for a cause and organization of their choice. The program provides funding equal to 100% of the athlete’s season win bonus.  

INTERSECTIONAL EQUITY WORKING GROUP

Formed after the murder of George Floyd, the Intersectional Equity Working Group (formerly Racial Equity Working Group) is made up of staff and players from each Athletes Unlimited sport to proactively seek opportunities to empower action within Athletes Unlimited communities to promote intersectional equity, reduce bias, and highlight diverse voices and perspectives. 

For example, the group launched #Becoming Unlimited in 2021, which highlights the talents of BIPOC girls and young women in sports. It not only looks for players who are talented in their respective sports, but who are also active leaders on their teams and in their communities.

IMPACT WEEKS

Impact Weeks are a chance for Athletes Unlimited and its athletes to highlight a specific cause, national observance, civic leadership partner, or AU initiative through related weekly programming, athlete experience, and game presentation through in-venue and broadcast content and activations.

POLICIES THAT SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES

Athletes Unlimited is committed to creating safe and inclusive spaces while maintaining competitive equity in professional sports. 

To support our athletes we provide child care to our athletes in market and have a progressive pregnancy and parental leave policy.

Athletes Unlimited recognizes all forms of gender expression and supports athletes choosing to express their gender beyond the binary of female and male through its Participation of Transgender and Non-Binary Athletes Policy.

CIVIC LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Civic Leadership Award aims to recognize one Athletes Unlimited athlete each year for their civic leadership efforts both during the seasons and in the off-season. 

Any Athletes Unlimited athlete playing in a season of the award year who has demonstrated civic leadership both in season and in their off-season is eligible for this award. Whether nominating themselves or their peers, athletes speak to the depth of civic leadership activities that they, or the person they are nominating, are involved in both outside and within the Athletes Unlimited programs. These civic leadership activities include athlete’s involvement in Athlete Causes, volunteerism, community service, fundraising, voter engagement, raising awareness, advocacy and more. 

2021 Recipient: Jazmyn Jackson