AmeriCorps: Conversations with Athletes
Over the past two years, as part of the IIR Sports and Civic Engagement initiative, including a multi-year grant from AmeriCorps (Athletes and Engagement), the IIR hosted conversations and conducted interviews with native-born and foreign-born athletes and coaches in various sports teams across the United States. These teams include the D.C. DIVAS, one of 14 professional teams in the Women’s Football Alliance; the Seattle Spartans, a semi-professional full-contact football team that is based in Seattle, Washington; the Seattle Orcas, one of six Major League Cricket (MLC) teams in the United States; athlete Jivana Aras, a player on the women’s U.S. National Cricket team, Cultures United, a community-based soccer program in Seattle, Washington, international collegiate student-athletes, and the Washington Spirit, one of 14 professional teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
The panelists and interviewees talked about their involvement in sports, contributions and accomplishments on and off the field, obstacles or barriers they faced, how sports can serve as a building block to unite individuals from different backgrounds, and how they aim to inspire and empower the next generation of youth and young adult athletes.
Organization |
Summary |
D.C. DIVAS
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On January 31, 2024, the IIR hosted a conversation with current and former native-born and foreign-born players on the D.C. DIVAS. The D.C. DIVAS are one of 14 professional teams in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA). Over the last two decades, the D.C. DIVAS have won three National Championships and compiled more victories than any other franchise in the history of the sport. But the D.C. DIVAS are about more than sports. Their mission “… is to level the playing field for girls and women in sports” and to inspire and empower the next generation of athletes. To read a summary of the event, click here. Video edited by Harman Sabharwal |
Seattle Spartans
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On June 18, 2024, the IIR hosted a conversation with players on the Seattle Spartans at their training facility, Velocity Taekwondo Center in Kent, WA. The Seattle Spartans, who were founded in 2012, are a semi-professional full-contact football team that is based in Seattle, Washington. Over the last decade, the Spartans have worked to grow the game in the United States and abroad, inspire and empower the next generation of girls, boys, and young adults, and strive to bring women's football to the mainstream. To read a summary of the event, click here. Video edited by Harman Sabharwal |
Cricket Connections
Photo Credit: Canva/ Brian A. Jackson |
On June 17, 2024, IIR director, Dr. Jim Witte, met with Jagan Nemani, Senior Vice President of Operations with the Seattle Orcas – one of six Major League Cricket (MLC) teams in the United States, Jivana Aras, a player on the women’s U.S. National Cricket team, and her father, Yatin Aras, an engineer, former collegiate cricket player, and cricket coach to talk about their involvement in the game, growth of the game, and future direction of cricket in the United States. To read a summary of the interview, click here. Video edited by Harman Sabharwal |
Cultures United
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In July 2024, IIR director, Dr. Jim Witte and IIR Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Marissa Kiss, met with Sebastian Diaz founder of Cultures United, a community-based soccer program, and Carl King, a former international and U.S. based professional soccer player and the current Ambassador for the organization, to learn more about the mission of Cultures United, growing the game, and the organization’s impact both on and off the field. To read a summary of the interview, click here. Video edited by Harman Sabharwal |
International Collegiate Student-Athletes
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In September 2024, the IIR hosted an hour-long webinar with current and former international or foreign-born collegiate student-athletes to learn about their involvement in sports, coming to the United States, playing sports at the collegiate level, contributions and accomplishments on and off the field, and future goals and plans. The three panelists include current University of Maryland sociology major and football player, Kevin Kalonji, who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. George Mason University Master's alumni student, Gréta Klaudia Kühne who studied anthropology with a bioarchaeology focus. Greta was born Budapest, Hungary and competed in track and field at the University of Idaho and Stefan Copetti who was born in Toronto, Canada and who studied sociology and played soccer for the University of Maryland. To read a summary of the webinar, click here. Video edited by Oguzhan Dursun |
Washington Spirit
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On September 15, 2022, the IIR hosted foreign-born players from the Washington Spirit, D.C.'s National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team to discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with being a foreign-born athlete in the United States. Washington Spirit players, Devon Kerr and Julia Roddar joined IIR Director, Dr. Jim Witte for an hour-long conversation with students, faculty, and the local community. A video recording is not available. This was an in-person event. |
Photo Credit: Photo provided by Cultures United Football Club
