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.
Ida B. Wells poet-athletes welcomed an exciting guest this week, when Washington Spirit investor and basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson surprised the middle school’s DC SCORES girls’ team at Friday practice.
Johnson, a five-time NBA champion who pivoted to a successful entrepreneurship career, was announced as the newest member of the NWSL club’s investor group earlier this week.
The Spirit chose to introduce Johnson to the wider community at the DC SCORES team’s practice at Ida B. Wells, where the Spirit has been supporting the girls’ soccer team as part of their commitment to expanding women and girls access to sports in the DMV.
Poet-athletes completed a series of skills-based drills led by DC SCORES coaches and staff, before participating in a meet and greet, introduced by Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, chancellor of DC Public Schools (DCPS), with Johnson and Washington Spirit Owner Michele Kang.
“We want to encourage these young ladies to learn soccer and be good at it, but also to do good in school, too,” Johnson told FOX 5’s Chad Ricardo at the event. “And, so, I believe in always trying to get with partners who believe in winning on the field, but also winning in the community.”
DC SCORES and the Washington Spirit launched their official community partnership in 2020, with the goal of increasing girls’ participation in soccer.
Since then, the club has supported DC SCORES in a myriad of ways. In addition to the Spirit’s work at Ida B. Wells, Spirit partners CareFirst and CVS Health sponsor DC SCORES programming at Excel Academy and Cardozo Education Campus, respectively. The club also sponsors major DC SCORES events, including One Night One Goal and Our Words Our City, and provides free tickets to home games to DC SCORES poet-athletes in its designated Young Supporters section at Audi Field.
“From the very top of the club with investors like Michele Kang, right down through the staff and supporters, the Spirit proves that showing up for women’s sports makes a difference. The talent is there, the passion is there, and as long as we remove barriers to participation and development we will continue to see powerful transformations in girls’ and women’s sports like the one we have seen at Ida B. Wells,” said Katrina Owens, executive director at DC SCORES.
“Today, we’re so glad to be adding another powerful advocate to this work. Magic Johnson is not only one of the greatest athletes of all time, his advocacy and business acumen have proven that investing in potential, like the potential that we see in our poet-athletes today, pays off. It’s not only a smart business decision, but it makes our communities stronger,” Owens said.
She added, “At DC SCORES, we’ve known for a long time that young people are worth the investment, and we’re so honored to welcome Magic Johnson into our work with the Spirit and into the DC SCORES family.”