DC SCORES to Present 2025 Poet-Athlete Award to Tori Huster, Deputy Executive Director of the NWSLPA and Former Washington Spirit Player

DC SCORES will present the 2025 Poet-Athlete Award to NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) Deputy Executive Director and former Washington Spirit midfielder Tori Huster. 

The Poet-Athlete Award is bestowed annually upon individuals who embody the ethos of DC SCORES poet-athletes by using their voices to serve as leaders in their communities and speak up against injustice. The honor is presented at Our Words Our City, DC SCORES’ premier youth poetry showcase. 

Huster is being recognized for her leadership as president of the NWSLPA in 2022, where she played a pivotal role in securing a historic collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Her contributions to DC SCORES as a member of the Washington Spirit, which established an Official Community Partnership with the organization in 2020, further underscore her commitment to community engagement and youth empowerment.

As deputy executive director of the NWSLPA, Huster continues to champion players’ rights, equitable treatment, and enhanced working conditions, with a particular emphasis on player health, wellness, and safety. She remains dedicated to strengthening the league’s commitment to player safety, compensation, and development, building upon the work of players who came before her. 

Huster played a pivotal role in negotiating the CBA in 2022 and the subsequent landmark 2024 CBA, which secured free agency rights and abolished the draft — making the NWSL the first major American professional sport to achieve these groundbreaking milestones.

In addition to her work in labor rights, Huster has been a visible advocate for DC SCORES. As the most-tenured player in Washington Spirit history, with over 150 appearances, she was a steadfast supporter of the nonprofit’s mission. Through the Spirit’s Official Community Partnership with DC SCORES, she actively championed its programming, which serves more than 3,500 youth through soccer, poetry, and service learning. 

Poet-athletes in the program gain confidence, develop teamwork skills, and engage in community service, all at no cost to them or their families. Huster regularly participated in DC SCORES events, including Our Words Our City, and consistently highlighted the organization’s impact on the D.C. community.

Huster’s influence extends beyond the field and the bargaining table. Recently, she was featured at Harvard Kennedy School’s Sports, Entertainment, and Impact Summit, as well as the Women in Sports session of the 2024 Forbes Under 30 Summit.

“We are honored to present the 2025 Poet-Athlete Award to Tori for her tireless efforts to advance labor rights and community impact, both in D.C. and at the national level,” said Katrina Owens, executive director of DC SCORES. “She and other leaders in the NWLSPA have blazed a trail for professional athletes and other workers in the United States, demonstrating the power of collective action and voice to advance positive change.”

Learn more and buy tickets for Our Words Our City at the Our Words Our City event page.