“Women Can Lead, Compete, and Succeed”: DC SCORES and the Young Women of Ida B. Wells Middle School

This Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting Coach Jennifer Schroeder and her longtime student Ruth, and how leadership, mentorship, and opportunity are shaping the next generation of poet-athletes at Ida B. Wells Middle School. 

Last fall, the girls’ soccer team at Ida B. Wells Middle School won the Capital Cup championship. Their goalkeeper, an eighth grader named Ruth, was named MVP.

It wasn’t the first time Ruth had stood out. Her longtime teacher, Jennifer Schroeder, has known her since third grade — first as her classroom teacher, then as her DC SCORES coach. Over the years, she has watched Ruth go from a quiet, hesitant student to someone who competes hard, writes poetry, and walks through the school hallways like she belongs there.

“She was winning MVP in her soccer games,” says Schroeder. “I saw her flourish at the science fair last week — standing up tall, being able to vocalize her project. On and off the field, Ruth was winning.”

Nearly a Decade of Coaching at DC SCORES 

Schroeder has been with DC SCORES for nearly ten years. She has coached across the city, elementary and middle school, East side and West side,  and has coached both girls’ and boys’ teams. Today, she leads the boys’ middle school soccer team at Ida B. Wells. 

Her experience across teams and communities has shaped how she thinks about leadership, especially what it means for young people to see themselves reflected in it. 

“How do we gain the confidence of our boys to see that women belong in sports?” she says. “It starts at a young age — boys seeing a woman in a leadership role.” 

At the same time, her presence has a direct impact on the girls she’s coached over the years. Ruth puts it simply and says, “Having a woman coach means a lot to me because it means that women can lead, compete, and succeed in sports.”

Schroeder grew up playing soccer herself. She remembers practicing at the same sportsplex where the Washington Spirit played. Now, she watches the Spirit compete in the same stadium as DC United. She sees that visibility as part of the same continuum her players are growing up to do. 

“I think it’s very empowering,” she says. “From my children that are looking at me, from me looking at my mentors — seeing where I can go next, how I can tell myself that I belong in this space without anybody telling me that I can’t.” 

A Consistent Community at Ida B. Wells 

Ruth first joined DC SCORES in fifth grade, invited by friends who were already playing. When she moved up to middle school, she walked into a new building already knowing her teammates. 

“Everything is new — new friends, new community, new teachers,” says Schroeder. “What’s not new? DC SCORES.”

That continuity matters, especially during that transition to middle school. A Ida B. Wells, DC SCORES serves as a constant — a space where students can show up as themselves, build relationships, and feel a sense of belonging from day one. 

The partnership between DC SCORES and Ida B. Wells Middle School has become and important part of the school’s culture. Through after-school programming that combines soccer, poetry, and service-learning, students are given consistent opportunities to express themselves, build confidence, and connect with one another beyond the classroom. 

That sense of belonging shows up in small, everyday moments. Schroeder sees it in the hallways — players walking in pairs and small groups, checking in on each other, and inviting classmates to join service-learning activities. 

“I see that transition when they start to connect,” she says. “They find something they belong to, and they find that connection.” 

And over time, that connection grows into a supportive community that extends beyond the field. 

Connecting Poet-Athletes to a Larger Community

Through DC SCORES, poet-athletes at Ida B. Wells Middle School regularly connect with opportunities beyond their school community.

They visit Audi Field, meet professional players, and participate in events across the District. Schroeder is also preparing to take a group to Boston for Festival 26, an international youth festival taking place July 5–13, 2026, during the FIFA World Cup.

These experiences are strengthened through DC SCORES’ partnership with the Washington Spirit, which brings additional visibility and resources to programs like the one at Ida B. Wells.

Last year, that partnership came to life when poet-athletes welcomed Earvin “Magic” Johnson to a DC SCORES practice. The visit introduced students to a global sports leader who emphasized the importance of both athletics and education.

“We want to encourage these young ladies to learn soccer and be good at it, but also to do good in school, too,” Johnson said. “I believe in always trying to get with partners who believe in winning on the field, but also winning in the community.”

Moments like these reinforce what poet-athletes experience every day in the program — that their growth matters and that people are investing in their future.

“They will be able to look back and say, I am this person today because I’ve had this practice at such a young age,” Schroeder says. “I was told that I belonged.”

What Poet-Athletes Carry Forward 

For Schroeder, the impact of DC SCORES shows up in how poeth-athletes see themselves. 

“Ruth is going to know how to vocalize her opinion when she’s speaking about her contract, when she’s getting her job,” she says. “She’s going to know that she deserves that scholarship on the table.”

Ruth is already thinking about the kind of leader she wants to be. 

“I want to be the kind of leader that encourages people,” she says, “and never lets anyone be left out.”

That mindset reflected the broader goal of the DC SCORES program: supporting young people as they grow into leaders in their schools and communities. 

Schroeder was introduced to DC SCORES by a mentor. She hopes her poet-athletes will continue that cycle. 

“I want them to become the mentors of tomorrow,” she says, “as they take advantage of being mentees of today.”