Logo?

The Washington Spirit and CareFirst will fund the cost of gear, equipment, coaching, and transportation for the DC SCORES team at Excel Academy.

On April 12, the Washington Spirit and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) announced a new community partnership that will support DC SCORES programming at Excel Academy Public School for Girls.

The Washington Spirit and CareFirst will work together to create better health and equity for communities in Washington, DC, beginning with supporting DC SCORES soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs at Excel, an all-girls public school in Ward 8.

The partnership will provide everything the Excel team needs to participate in DC SCORES, including soccer gear, writing equipment, transportation to away games, and the cost of coaching. The Washington Spirit and CareFirst also presented the squad with brand-new jerseys featuring both organizations’ logos.

Emma May, Washington Spirit President of Business Operations and DC SCORES Board Member, described DC SCORES as the “bedrock” of the Spirit and CareFirst partnership. “What DC SCORES is doing in our community is paramount,” she added. “They’re making poet-athletes all over the city of DC and all over the United States.”

Washington Spirit President of Business Operations and DC SCORES Board Member Emma May opened the event.

“DC SCORES wouldn’t be possible without the incredible partners who make our programming amazing,” said Katrina Owens, Executive Director of DC SCORES. “[These partnerships] mean that we can serve kids across this city every single day. I couldn’t be happier to be here with our Excel Academy poet-athletes, who have their first spring season and the start of many seasons to come.”

Excel Academy joined the DC SCORES programs this year and played in their first elementary school game last week against Ketcham Elementary School. The team was in the audience for the Spirit-CareFirst announcement and Excel poet-athletes were able to get their new DC SCORES jerseys signed by Washington Spirit players Anna Heilferty, Aubrey Kingsbury, Nicole Barnhart, and Tori Huster.

“One of my favorite parts was getting the jersey,” said Excel Academy poet-athlete and team captain Tymberly. “I’m really excited we got the jerseys and we also got autographs. We’re the only team in DC that got the Washington Spirit at their school and autographs on their jerseys!”

Excel poet-athletes got their jerseys signed by Washington Spirit players.