Coaches Shay and Shanice Blanchard Serve Their Hometown Through DC SCORES
Sisters Shay and Shanice dreamed of a program like DC SCORES as youngsters. Now they're helping their students tap into[...]
Transforming communities through the power of poet-athletes.
DC SCORES
Washington, D.C.
DC SCORES empowers youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.
Upcoming Opportunities
Volunteer with Us
Make an impact on youth as a DC SCORES volunteer for the fall season!
What We Do
- Soccer
- Poetry
- Service Learning
Soccer
DC SCORES creates neighborhood soccer teams that become lifelong communities. By coming together for practices, gamedays, and tournaments across the school year, poet-athletes forge meaningful relationships with friends and coaches and build a support network that stays with them long after they graduate from the program.
Poetry
During our fall season, poet-athletes learn how to write creatively and perform their poetry as a team. By raising their voices on the issues they care about most, poet-athletes improve their social and emotional health, learn to express themselves creatively, and become champions for their neighborhoods and wider communities.
Service Learning
In the spring, poet-athletes take on an issue they explored in their poetry and apply their soccer teamwork skills to a community service project. By working together on something that matters to them, poet-athletes form deep connections to their neighborhoods and become young leaders for positive change in their city.
Who We Are
We envision a D.C. where every child experiences the joys of childhood and is empowered to grow into a physically and emotionally healthy adult — on and off the playing field.
3000
+
Poet-Athletes
Served Each Year
60
+
Schools
30
Years of Impact
Student Voices
“DC SCORES taught me to build connections with the community around me. It’s incredible what DC SCORES did for me.”
- Axel, DC SCORES Alumnus
“When you worked hard to be on that stage, grown-ups think it’s more worthwhile, and they think more.”
- Veronica, DC SCORES Poet-Athlete
“At DC SCORES you have to have a lot of love and respect. You have to pick up your teammates. You have to help them.”
- Kollyn, DC SCORES Poet-Athlete
Latest Stories & Events
“He’s On My Team”: A Father and Son Reflect on the Generational Impact of DC SCORES
Aspen McNair Sr. and his son, Aspen Jr., represent two generations DC SCORES poet-athlete.
Forging Fútbol Friendships in Poet-Athlete City
Professional soccer players Darwin Espinal and Josselin Possian share how they grew their game and friendship through DC SCORES.
DC SCORES Gears Up For Poetry Slams at Historic Moment
Poet-athletes set to share their views and hopes for the future after a particularly divisive election cycle.
One Night One Goal Kicks Off DC SCORES 30th Anniversary Celebrations
The Audi Field event also broke DC SCORES fundraising records by bringing in more than $550,000 for poet-athletes.
New Washington Spirit Investor Magic Johnson Introduced to Community at DC SCORES Practice
Johnson surprised members of the DC SCORES girls' team at Ida B. Wells Middle School.
Arsenal Teams Up with DC SCORES to Bring Together Soccer and Art
Arsenal and DC SCORES joined forces this week to bring soccer and creative arts together at George Mason University. Poet-athletes[...]
Hart Middle School Poet-Athletes Fight Period Stigma Through Service Learning
The DC SCORES team's "Women of Hart" project allows students to discreetly access the hygiene products they need, no adults[...]
MorganFranklin Consulting Named SCORES Cup Presenting Sponsor, ESPN 630 DC Returns as Media Partner
ESPN 630 DC is also returning to the event for a second year as the official SCORES Cup media partner.
“DC SCORES Keeps Us Safe!”: How Poet-Athletes at KIPP DC Quest Academy Took On Gun Violence Through Soccer, Poetry, and Service
Armed with research-backed strategies, poet-athletes then took to the streets. They held signs and distributed flyers during a peace walk[...]
Pro Soccer Player Josselin Possian Reflects on Finding “Peace” at DC SCORES
Possian says DC SCORES changed his life, and those of many of the classmates he first encountered when he arrived[...]
Transforming the Next Generation Through DC SCORES: Coach Shay Blanchard at Barnard Elementary
This story is part of our SCORES Community series, focusing on how members of the SCORES community are having an[...]
In the News
Focused On The Goal: 30 Years of DC SCORES History
Magic Johnson Joins Washington Spirit Investor Group, Attends DC SCORES Practice
Magic Johnson Introduced to Washington Spirit Community at DC SCORES Training Session