2021: A Slow Return

The pandemic continued to have a significant impact on Team DC in 2021. All events continued to be cancelled or postponed through June because of public health restrictions. The uncertainty of when events could open up further delayed planning.

Once things opened up, Team DC was forced to respond quickly to a world filled with pent-up enthusiasm mixed with nervous anxiety. For the most part, we were able to snap back into action, but it was stressful and not all projects could be accommodated fully.

Still, considering the enormous challenge presented by COVID, it is remarkable that Team DC was able to weather the storm. It is a testament to the organization’s cautious planning and wise financial restraint that provided the resources to stay afloat.

As the organization moves into 2022, many of the plans are simply holdovers from 2021 and Team DC will continue to focus on four critical areas:

• Relations with Member Clubs.
• The College Scholarship program.
• Fundraising/Development.
• The Equality Sports Association.

As noted in last year’s report, as an Association, Team DC is different than a sport club that hosts practices and games or a traditional non-profit that provides direct services. Our mission is to unite the LGBTQ sports community in the Washington DC region to raise visibility, leverage resources, and make sports a safe and welcoming place for all participants.

Further, Team DC helps lead in areas that are generally beyond the scope of any one team. Programs like the College Scholarships, the Night of Champions Awards, the Pride Night OUT events at the various pro teams, representation in the Federation of Gay Games, and participation in the multiple local Pride events are just some of the areas where the presence of a unifying association plays a vital role.

Member Team Engagement in 2021

Team engagement is one of the primary activities we undertake each year. Pandemic restrictions severely limited those opportunities including the cancellation of the various Pride activities including the Capital Pride Parade, the Capital Pride Festival, Black Pride, Youth Pride, Latinx Pride, and Trans Pride. We anticipate that all these events will return in 2022 and Team DC plans to participate accordingly.

The Health & Fitness Expo planned for September was also postponed. This event was intended to replace the traditional SportsFest recruiting event which many felt needed a makeover because it was not reaching enough new constituencies. The Expo would not only be an opportunity for member clubs to recruit, but to expand the size and scope of the event to include health providers, nutritionists, alternative medicine, etc. The day would end with field games and a fundraiser at a local bar.

Team DC has reached out to the Capital Pride Alliance to see if they would be interested in combining this event with their ColorfulFest event which was held in October. Team DC hosted a table at ColorfulFest and thinks this might be a good opportunity for both organizations.

Team DC continued the Heroes Meals deliveries that first started in November of 2020. This program solicited donations from teams to purchase meals from Nellie’s Sports Bar that were delivered to front line workers in the pandemic. Teams were asked to provide a minimum amount of $50 and these donations were combined with other teams’ contributions as well as matching funds from Team DC. This program proved to be a huge success and engaged 20 teams, raised $6,000 and provided 600 meals to a variety of organizations serving our community during these challenging times.

Specifically, the following teams made donations to purchase meals:

• Adventuring – $100
• ASGRA – $50
• CAPS Softball – $50
• CARA Bowling – $150
• DC Front Runners – $200
• DC Gay Basketball League – $600
• DC Gay Flag Football League – $200
• DC Lambda Squares – $50
• DC Strokes Rowing Club – $100
• Gay Hockey DC – $100
• Lambda Links – $100
• Rainbow Spinnakers – $60
• Rogue League Sports – $100
• SMACK League Bowling – $75
• Stonewall Kickball Teams – $3,205 (total)
  • Ball Busters – $180
  • Blue Ballers – $300
  • Secret Servicers – $175
  • Mounties – $605
  • Multiple Scorgasms – $445
  • Swallows – $1,500
• Individuals
  • Embody Pure Fitness (Grace Thompson) – $100
  • Matt Lewis – $50
  • Randy Meck – $50
  • Robert York – $50
• Team DC – $640

In addition, DC Fray (by way of Martin Espinoza) donated 10 cases of Red Bull that were included with several the deliveries. We are grateful for the support of all those who helped recognize the contributions of our front-line workers.

Organizations that received meals included the following:

All Sport Council meetings, as well as the 2021 Annual Meeting, were held via Zoom. Those meetings were held on January 9 (Annual Meeting), March 15, June 21, and September 27. Plans call for meetings to return to in-person beginning with the 2022 Annual Meeting on January 8 if pandemic restrictions allow.

Team DC Executive Director, Brent Minor, attends the monthly LGBTQ Leaders Calls held on the first Friday of each month. These calls provide a good forum for discussion of larger issues facing the community and for Team DC to advocate for the concerns of its member clubs.

Minor was also invited to join the Bid Committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Should Washington DC be selected as one of the sites for games during the World Cup, Team DC has agreed to host LGBTQ-related events here as well as in other host cities. An announcement will be made in early 2022.

There are currently 43 member clubs in Team DC including the following:

• Adventuring (Hiking/Outdoors)
• Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association
• Capital Area Rainbowlers
• Capital Climbers
• Capital Splats Racquetball
• Capital Tennis Association
• Cheer DC
• Chesapeake & Potomac Softball
• DC Aquatics Club
• DC Different Drummers
• DC Front Runners
• DC Furies Women’s Rugby
• DC Gay Flag Football League
• DC Pickleball Club
• DC Pride Volleyball League
• DC Rawhides Dancing
• DC Revolution Women’s Rugby
• DC Roller Girls
• DC Strokes Rowing Club
• Federal Triangles Soccer Club
• Gay Hockey DC
• Lambda Links Golf
• Lambda Squares Square Dancing
• Lez Go!
• OutRiders Biking Club
• Potomac Curling Club
• Rainbow Spinnakers Sailing
• Rogue Cornhole
• Rogue Darts
• Rogue eSports
• Stonewall Billiards
• Stonewall Bocce
• Stonewall Climbing
• Stonewall Dodgeball
• Stonewall Kickball
• TriOuts Triathlon Club
• Tuesday Night Flights (Darts)
• Washington DC Gay Basketball Association
• Washington DC Gaels
• Washington DSeahorses Water Polo
• Washington Prodigy Women’s Football
• Washington Renegades Rugby
• Washington Scandals Rugby

We were glad to welcome the Washington DC Gaels (Gaelic Sports), the DC Pickleball Club, and the Potomac Curling Club to Team DC in 2021.

Team DC hosted its annual Holiday Party at Uproar on December 8. Free food and a free raffle for a pair of 2022 Nationals tickets were provided. In addition, the event served as a Winter Clothing Drive and there was a huge number of items donated (about 25 bags!). These items were given to the DC Center which recently started a Clothing Closet.

2021 Pride Night OUT Series

All Pride Night OUT activities in 2021 were cancelled through June due to the pandemic. Once the crowd limits were relaxed, things picked up rather quickly. The following events were held:

Pride Night OUT at Old Glory Rugby – July 10

This represented the second Pride Night with Old Glory as the 2020 game had been cancelled. Team DC set up a table at the main gate area and raffled off a signed ball and jersey. Attendance at the event was low due to a mix of pandemic hesitancy and because the games are now played in Loudon County. While it is a great facility, the distance is definitely a deterrent. Future events might want to include bus service and, perhaps, a party after the game.

Pride Night OUT at the Nationals – August 17 vs Toronto Blue Jays

Despite being postponed several times, the return of the Pride Night OUT at the Nationals surpassed expectations and sold 3,732 tickets in our section. These numbers are within range of pre-pandemic numbers. Considering pandemic fears and a date in August instead of the traditional June time, this was considered a success.

Due to pandemic protocols, on field recognitions were limited. We were, however, able to include the following special guests:

• Delegate Danica Roem (First Pitch)
• Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (National Anthem)
• Freddie Mac (Spirit Award)
• Arc’teryx (Spirit Award)
• Dave Peruzza, Pitchers/ALOHO (Play Ball)

The Nationals once again provided the T shirts and they were well-received. However, there were long lines for people to get the shirts inside the ballpark and this needs to be revisited for next year.

Dacha (Navy Yard) invited Pride Night OUT participants to an after-party and anyone with a ticket stub received a free lager. Dacha is interested in creating closer relationship with Team DC, especially for Pride Night OUT events.

United Night OUT – August 28 vs Philadelphia Union

Team DC once again teamed up with the Federal Triangles Soccer Club to produce the United Night OUT. 456 tickets were purchased in our section which is slightly lower than in previous years, but considering the pandemic and relative late start on promotion, this was deemed a success. Team DC and FTSC split the $5 fundraising amount per ticket.

As usual, DCU displayed lots of pride visibility and was very supportive of the event. Commemorative scarves were given to all UNO ticket holders. Table space was also provided for both Team DC and FTSC in the Heineken Hall area. Plans for a $5 Happy Hour beer special were scratched at the last minute due to a lack of coordination with the vendor.

Special items for the night included:

• Reps from FTSC and Team DC (Jim Ensor and Grace Thompson) recognized on the field at halftime.
• Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon sang (and played) the national anthem. He was a former American Idol contestant.
• DC Different Drummers played prior to the game in Heineken Hall.
• FTSC and the local supporters club, the Screaming Eagles, unfurled a huge Pride banner during the game.

Like with the event with the Nationals, Dacha hosted an after-party and gave a free lager to anyone showing a ticket stub.

Pride Night OUT at the Washington Football Team – September 16 vs the NY Giants

Team DC had refused to host any event with the NFL until the name “Redskins” was no longer used. Fortunately, the name was changed and Team DC hosted its first Pride Night OUT with the WFT. Approximately 250 people attended in our section, including many from the DC Gay Flag Football League.

Tickets were reserved in 3 sections ($30, $70, and $130) to accommodate different price points. The overwhelming majority of purchases were for the $70 tickets. Thanks to a strong working relationship with the WFT, Team DC was also able to arrange the following:

• Bus service was offered from Pitchers for just $20 r/t. Two buses were used and were appreciated by attendees. In the future buses may want to leave earlier to allow for traffic.
• A pre-game buffet with unlimited food, beer, and wine was offered for just $28 per person. A special section inside Fed-Ex field was used for this.
• The DC Different Drummers played during the pre-game party.
• Members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s Gospel Ensemble sang “Lift Every Voice” on the field prior to the game.

Team DC also participated in an in-service training for about 75 WFT staff about Diversity and Inclusion. Plans call for future training with the team management after the season concludes.

Pride Night OUT at the Washington Spirit – October 9 vs. Louisville

Thanks to the Olympics, the women’s soccer season lasted into the fall and allowed for our first Pride Night OUT event with the Spirit at Audi Field. Tickets were $30 and no additional fundraising amount was included to help boost attendance. Approximately 40 people purchased tickets in our section.

The Spirit allow us to use the Heineken Rooftop Bar area which offers great views of the field as well as easy access to the bars and restrooms. Comments were very positive about use of this space and should be considered for the future.

No special guests were included with the game, but the Spirit did give us a signed team ball to raffle off. Proceeds from the raffle benefited the FTSC women’s indoor soccer tournament.

Planning for the 2022 Pride Night OUT Series is already underway with dates selected for the Nationals, Wizards, Capitals, DC United, and Old Glory Rugby. A full calendar of 13 Pride Night OUT events is planned for 2022. Key to that success will be a revitalized Pride Night OUT Committee that has representatives for each event.

Fundraising and Finances in 2021 

As with many small non-profit organizations, the pandemic has had a seriously negative impact on Team DC, especially in regards to finances. Even when events like the Pride Night OUT events with the Nationals or DC United were held, attendance was lower than in previous years. It is hoped that as things return to “normal”, that all events can return to their former levels. Still, Team DC must consider the impact of COVID remaining a long-term problem.

The annual Night of Champions Awards Dinner was postponed for a second time in 2021. It is now slated to be held on April 9, 2022. The impact of COVID has reached far beyond just postponing the date of the dinner. It has also hurt traditional donors to the Silent and Live Auctions which are key fundraising elements of the event. It is hard to know how extensive that negative impact will be.

Similarly, with member clubs just coming back into action, ticket sales to them might be lower. Since member clubs are usually the best prospects for ticket sales, the impact on the dinner could be profound.

Happily, however, the recipients of the 2020 Champions Awards will finally get their well-deserved recognition in 2022. They are:

• MVP Award: Bill Horten (Adventuring) and Kevin Comerford (Rogue Cornhole)
• Trailblazer Award: Dre Khoury (DC Furies) and Chris Miller (Capital Tennis Association)
• Community Service: Sean and Eireann Doolittle (previously accepted)

Because the Doolittles had already accepted their award, the Board voted to award the 2022 Community Service Award to the Old Glory Rugby Club in recognition of their ongoing work to make professional rugby inclusive of the LGBTQ community.

Team DC was awarded two Grants in 2022:

• Brother, Help Thyself gave $2,000 towards the establishment of the Health & Fitness Expo
• Arc’teryx gave $10,000 to support Team DC operations

The Team DC Scholarship Program also benefitted from an event called “March Madness”. Members of the Dupont Social Club, which produces the annual Miss Adams Morgan Pageant, recorded short videos which played during a live online broadcast. Drag Queens were stationed at four different bars around the city representing “regions” (similar to the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament) and reported fundraising results live on air. A total of $12,000 was raised over the course of the event.

The Team Challenge event had to be postponed but there are hopes it can be revived in 2022.

Team DC must also seek to advance opportunities for member club fundraising, one of the critical areas often cited by members. Previously, Team DC would coordinate shifts at RFK stadium during soccer matches where teams could earn tips as well as hosting Casino Nights where teams would split proceeds. Both of those activities have dried up and it has been difficult to identify new avenues to raise funds. Still, this remains a priority for Team DC in 2022

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Team DC has weathered the pandemic financially, although a return to shut down venues could prove disastrous. To help matters, the Executive Director took a 25% salary cut to ensure that the organization stay afloat. Those funds are deferred until such a time that they can be restored.

Scholarship in 2021 

If there was a bright spot in 2021, it would have to be the Team DC College Scholarship program. Nine students were awarded full $2,000 scholarships although only eight of them ultimately accepted. They were:

• Hailey Nguyen, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA), University of California at Berkeley
• Ajania Thaxton, Washington Latin Public Charter School (DC), Loyola University
• Anna Kolb, Edison High School (VA), Brandeis University
• Naomi Mansour, Washington-Liberty High School (VA), Muhlenberg College
• Otter Kammer, Washington-Liberty High School (VA), George Mason University
• K.G.*, Oakton High School (VA), Duke University
• A.D.*, Alexandria City High School (VA), University of Virginia
• Dustin Connors, Independence High School (VA), Northern Virginia Community College

*Name withheld to protect student’s privacy.

Also, the Clark Ray Horizon Award, which is awarded to an educator or coach who best demonstrates support for the LGBTQ student-athlete, was given to Ava Benach, a longtime girl’s baseball coach in Montgomery County. The Award was named after Clark Ray who died suddenly in the summer of 2021. Clark was the Athletic Director for Secondary Schools in the District and a long-time supporter of Team DC as well as the two bids to host the Gay Games in DC. Robert Rigby of the Fairfax County School System will be given the Clark Ray Horizon Award in 2022 for his years of support and mentorship of LGBTQ students.

Because the Night of Champions Awards Dinner was postponed, a smaller reception was held at the Hilton National Mall hotel in July to recognize the scholarship recipients. Members of the Scholarship Committee presented the checks to each student. In addition, sponsors of the scholarships were on hand to help in the presentation of the awards. This included:

• DC Front Runners Pride Run – 3 Scholarships
• Rogue League Sports – 2 Scholarships
• Dupont Social Club – 3 Scholarships

The Scholarship Committee was co-chaired by Rene Tionquico and Team DC Board Member for Scholarship Charles Roth. The committee, which is primarily made up of educators and parents, met monthly from October through April when the selection process was held.

A student intern from the University of Georgia, Sarah Padgette, worked with the Scholarship Committee in the fall to assist with developing promotional materials for outreach and recruitment. Her work was exemplary and greatly appreciated.

Marketing and Communications in 2021

Because of in-person limitations due to COVID, an active social media and online presence grew in importance during 2021. In response, the Marketing & Communications Committee was revived and Gabriel Hernandez moved into the lead Marketing position. Assisting in this effort was Miguel Ayala (Social Media) and Mike Walker (Website).

Online visibility of Team DC grew tremendously as a result of this renewed effort. The initial emphasis has been on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but as newer platforms grow in popularity (such as TikTok), Team DC will need to adjust.

Team DC benefitted from the work of student-intern, Allie Papernick, and the four weekly posts she created. These included:

• Sportlight Sundays – A LGBTQ athlete (pro, college, or amateur) was featured.
• Fitness Tuesdays – Short fitness tips were offered.
• DYK? (Did You Know?) Wednesdays – Fun facts about LGBTQ history were shared.
• Feature Fridays – A member team was highlighted each week.

The response to these posts helped garner the biggest responses to date. However, once Allie graduated in May, the posts became less frequent. Part of the planning for 2022 is to revive these regular postings and build back the number of followers.

These posts also represent an opportunity to partner with other community organizations and/or sponsors. Initial discussions were held with the Rainbow History project to work together on the DYK? Wednesday posts. There are also plans to work next year with a sponsor (a fitness instructor or gym) on the Fitness Tuesday postings.

Team DC sponsored its second “Pride Week” celebration from June 1-7, 2021. This was originally created in 2020 to fill the void left by the absence of the Night of Champions Dinner. Once again, new content was posted daily and covered a variety of topics, including:

• Video messages from six of the Scholarship recipients.
• An interview between Washington Blade reporter Philip van Slooten and two players from the Washington Mystics.
• An interview between out pro soccer player Collin Martin and several of the Scholarship recipients.
• A panel discussion with some of the creative team behind the documentary “Changing the Game” which was about the struggles facing trans athletes in today’s world.
• Fitness and yoga demonstrations.
• Nutritional advice from Food & Friends.
• Musical selections from member club DC’s Different Drummers.

With the resumption of in-person events, it is unclear if Pride Week will continue.

A comprehensive Marketing and Communications plan has been developed for 2022 to help address some of the existing shortcomings and increase the online visibility of Team DC.  New Board member Chad Shryock has now taken responsibility for the regular updating of the website. He will work with Board member for Special Projects Mike Walker to create a more complete “Who We Are” section of the website.

The “Under The Bleachers” podcast completed its third season in 2021. It is hosted by Vice-President Laura Fraher and Board Member for Social Media Gabriel Hernandez and explores “all things sports, all things queer, and things at the intersection of sports and queer”. Listeners of the podcast continue to grow at a slow, but steady rate.

Each episode is divided into two parts: The first discusses current events in the queer and/or sports world; the second half is an interview with a member club, community group, or sports figure. This venture has proven valuable in connecting with our member clubs and other key constituencies. Season four is slated to start taping in February of 2022.

Team DC and Gay Games in 2021

Team DC continued its membership in the General Assembly of the Federation of Gay Games in 2021. Team DC President, Les Johnson, who also serves as one of our two representatives to the FGG, attended the FGG’s Annual Meeting in October in Brighton, England. In addition, Team DC Board Member for External Relations, Grace Thompson, who also serves as a member of the FGG Board, attended the Annual Meeting as well.

The host for the 2026 Gay Games was selected at their Annual Meeting. Guadalajara (Mexico), Munich (Germany), and Valencia (Spain) were the finalists with Valencia earning the right to host the event.

Uncertainty continues to plague the Hong Kong Gay Games originally planned for 2022, but which now has been postponed to 2023 because of pandemic fears. While the organizers insist that the event is moving ahead, there is growing concern about the tightening restrictions placed on citizens in Hong Kong from the Chinese government. Team DC continues to monitor the situation closely and will keep local teams apprised of the event’s status.

Planning for 2022 

The sudden rise in the omicron variant has reversed the return to normal that many had hoped was just around the corner. While it is impossible to appreciate the impact of this development (or further ones), Team DC will move ahead with its activities and plans while adjusting for the restrictions of the pandemic. A calendar of events for 2022 is attached.

Hopefully, 2022 will see a full return of successful projects such as the Pride Night OUT Series, the College Scholarship program, and involvement in the various Pride celebrations. Team DC will also assess projects started during the pandemic such as Pride Week, Zoom meetings, and the March Madness fundraiser to determine if these projects are feasible to continue.

There are several new initiatives that will be addressed during the coming year and which could have a long range impact on the organization. Chief among these is the partnership with the Capital Pride Alliance to host an annual multi-sport event during Pride week each June. Recent meetings with Events DC and Destination DC indicate strong support for this concept.

The idea of an annual sports festival in DC has been discussed for a number of years as part of the creation of the Equality Sports Association (ESA). This new organization would be serve as the association of LGBTQ sports organizations in North America and would host an annual meeting and fundraising dinner in addition to the sports festival.

A related development is the recent agreement signed with the Out Athlete Fund. Team DC has agreed to serve as the fiscal agent of this organization which is currently based in San Francisco. The OAF was created to help support LGBTQ college and/or amateur athletes and many feel that their mission dovetails nicely with the elevated mission of the ESA.

Team DC also plans to work with CPA to expand the ColorfulFest event to include the Health & Fitness Expo originally planned for the fall of 2021.

The Expo would replace the annual SportsFest event which many felt needed an update. The Expo would expand beyond Team DC member clubs and invite healthcare providers, local community organizations, and sports-related vendors to participate. The Expo would also be a great opportunity to engage Sponsors, particularly those businesses that cater to the LGBTQ consumer, athlete, and health-conscious person.

Ideally, the event would be held at a local recreation center. The preliminary schedule would have member clubs, community groups, and vendors hosting tables during the morning and early afternoon. Demonstrations of sports could take place during the day depending on the willingness of the member clubs and venue capacity.

The latter part of the afternoon would focus on a group sports activity such as a “Bubble Suit” soccer match and allow member clubs to compete against each other in a fun accessible way. The event would close at a local bar with a fundraiser of some kind.

This change will help address one of the primary concerns expressed by member clubs that the SportsFest did not reach new recruits effectively. This will also be a great opportunity to connect with other community groups and increase visibility for the clubs.

Similarly, the Sports and Cultural Village at the Capital Pride Festival is a good opportunity for general recruitment, but it has not proven to be the best opportunity to showcase the member clubs. The space at John Marshall Park has proven challenging both in terms of access as well as what is allowed on federal land. While the Village will be continued in 2022, optimizing use of this space will be a high priority.

An important role for any association is to be a safe place for members to discuss current issues of concern to their team and/or community. One such topic is whether there should be Community Standards for organizations associated with Team DC. This would include member teams, sponsors, community partners, and special guests at events among others. In light of recent events, such conversations might improve awareness and understanding about marginalized communities and others who for whatever reason do not feel included.

Conclusion

The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the planning and execution of events and it is hard to know when this uncertainty will end. Even if events are held, it is likely that pandemic hesitancy will impact attendance. Regardless, Team DC will continue to follow public health guidelines to ensure that participants are safe.

As Team DC seeks to grow the organization through new initiatives like the Health & Fitness Expo, the Equality Sports Association, and an annual multi-sport event, the organization will need to expand resources to meet these needs. Now, more than ever, Team DC must rely on the energy and hard work of a committed Board, volunteers, and staff to see that our goals are reached.