On a recent hot and steamy July evening in Washington, D.C., the players for a unique sporting event were warming up. Audi Field, home of the DC United and Washington Spirit soccer teams, had been converted into a baseball diamond. And the athletes were not some group of high-paid professionals – they were amateurs at softball, but not at politics.
This was the annual Women’s Congressional Softball Game, now in its 17th year. The game was founded by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) and former Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Missouri) as a vehicle to raise money for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a nonprofit that helps young women affected by breast cancer by providing resources and support. Wasserman Schultz was a breast cancer survivor at the age of 41 and explained in an interview before the game why she founded the event. “I knew when I came out on the other side, I wanted to use my platform to be able to help fill a void in the fight against breast cancer,” she said.
Unlike the men’s Congressional Baseball Game, which pits the Democrats against the Republicans, the women’s softball team is bipartisan, and they play against a team comprised of female Washington reporters. Democrat Wasserman Schultz noted how she’s gotten to know her Republican co-captain through the games, Representative Stephanie Bice (R-Oklahoma). “She and I sit on the appropriations committee together. We’ve definitely gotten to know each other and developed a trust much more than we would ever have,” Wasserman Schultz said.
“It builds camaraderie between both parties,” said Julie Johnson (D-Texas). “I’ve gotten to know some of the Republicans, and we’re even on the same committees. So, it changes the dynamic and provides more humanness to the process,” she said. “This is fun,” exclaimed Representative Shari Biggs (R-South Carolina). “We’re not here talking politics, not trying to get one-up on anybody,” she said.
Though not well known outside of Washington, women members of Congress bonding through shared experiences is common. For years, the bipartisan women members of the Senate have held monthly dinners. In talking to the players, it was clear they have different attitudes about their teammates compared to how political relationships are usually portrayed on the internet and in the media. Representative Kim Schrier (D-Washington) noted how she developed a friendship with Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-West Virginia). “Boy, is she a sweetheart,” she said. Members of Congress usually employ a different tone when discussing colleagues across the aisle. In addition to the bipartisan camaraderie inspired through the game, the event has raised more than $4.3 million for the Young Survivor’s Coalition.
The event has become a gathering place for congressional staff and lobbyists. In between munching on hot dogs and chicken fingers, fans – usually comprised of the team members’ staffs – cheer for their boss’s performance, and often sport matching t-shirts to build office spirit. Part of the relationship building happens in the practice sessions leading up to the event, which are held at 7:00 AM for weeks before the games. “Our softball practices are wonderful ways to start our busy Congressional days,” said former team member and Representative Ilean Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), who served as an announcer for this year’s game. “We get the opportunity to learn about each other’s families and to relate to other players as real-life folks and not as a member of a political party,” she said.
The game has grown in prominence with the move to Audi Field; the first game in 2008 through last year’s game were played on a relatively small field behind a Capitol Hill elementary school. The press team, known as the “Bad News Babes,” usually has an advantage, since the average age of a Capitol Hill reporter is in the 30s and the members of Congress are a tad older. That usually leads to a somewhat lopsided ending (the reporters have won 10 times). However, this year the Women’s Congressional Softball Team edged out their media rivals 5-3.
Beyond the fundraising cause, the participation of the women members of Congress seems to affect their day jobs. “Because we’re on the same team on the field, we can work together and form teams in Congress to fight for issues that are important to women,” Wasserman Schultz said. The Women’s Congressional Softball Game has become a rare oasis of bipartisan spirit in Washington, uniting politicians for a common cause and allowing for some fun in the process.
Bradford Fitch is a former Capitol Hill staffer, former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, and author of “Citizens’ Handbook for Influencing Elected Officials.”
