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It is with very mixed emotions that I share my decision to step down as CEO of DC SCORES at the end of August. It has been a true privilege to serve in these capacities.

The mission of DC SCORES is deeply personal to me. I still get chills every time I hear our poet-athletes perform original poems; every time I see our poet-athletes lift each other up on the soccer field and at poetry slams; every time I observe our coaches in action lovingly mentoring their teams; and every time a stranger, recognizing my DC SCORES shirt, hollers at me across a street, excited to share what DC SCORES team they were part of. THIS is the true power of SCORES.

Looking back on my tenure at DC SCORES, I am most proud of:

• our laser focus on sustaining high-quality, impactful programming even as we doubled the number of kids served to 3,000/year;

• our intentional – and ongoing – journey to center racial equity and social justice in everything we do;

• the deep, cross-sector community partnerships we have built, including those with D.C. United, Busboys & Poets, DCIAA, DCSAA, DC DPR, Bethesda Soccer Club, and the Washington Spirit; and

• our role as a community leader pushing to increase equity of opportunity for DC’s Black and brown children.

I will forever be humbled by the trust that so many extraordinary poet-athletes and their families, committed coaches, passionate volunteers, and dedicated staff placed in me to lead this work.

I’m proud to leave DC SCORES in a position of strength. We have a powerful, diverse team of staff, coaches, and Board members committed to always centering poet-athletes’ needs. Although the COVID-19 pandemic tested all our mettle, we are coming out of it in a stable financial position with innovative new ways to keep poet-athletes feeling safe, supported, connected, and hopeful through good times and bad. We have evolved from DC’s best-kept secret to its worst-kept, and are on our way to becoming DC’s charity of choice. And we are embarking on an ambitious growth plan to sustainably provide supportive teams and brave spaces for 5,000 DC children/year by 2025.

Though I am looking forward to a new adventure, I couldn’t be more excited for DC SCORES’ future! I hope each of you will join me in supporting DC SCORES as it continues its journey to increase equity by serving every DC child who needs a team.

With deepest gratitude for your trust and partnership,

Bethany Rubin Henderson
CEO, DC SCORES