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Playing Optimistic Offense: Developing Teammates, Citizens and Leaders
When we think about building a stronger democracy, we often think of town halls, voting booths, or policy debates. But, as Coach Rev and Joe share, some of the most powerful training grounds for citizenship are found in locker rooms and on playing fields across the country.
Following our HWF Civic Futures kickoff last week with Eric Liu, our design partners at Public/Official have created a unique visual to capture the “civic scaffolding” spirit of this conversation.
Rev, Joe, and I started working together back in 2020, shortly after they launched a movement to infuse civic engagement into college athletics called “All Vote No Play.” See the full origin story here, which I affectionately called “The NCAA is having a Ted Lasso Moment.”
As a futurist and former student-athlete, I immediately recognized the immense leverage point student-athletes could have on their campuses. They are often culture-carriers who can have ripple effects on the larger community, including alumni and fans. When they step up as trusted messengers of what “civic sportsmanship” can look like beyond their sport, they can have outsized positive impact on their communities. And, having connection and purpose beyond the pressure to perform is also beneficial for the athletes and the team. Being proactively focused on creating positive value is a win for everyone - what I call “optimistic offense.”
Working together, we turned All Vote No Play into The Team—a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to integrating civic and community engagement into college athletics. In the last few years, our programs and resources have reached hundreds of thousands of student-athletes across the country.
In a time that feels overwhelmingly divided, sports can break down political and social silos by giving us a place to experience collective joy. Spend any time talking to a Golden State WNBA Valkyries fan dressed in violet, and they’ll tell you that going to a game is nothing short of a magical collective experience.
This isn’t just good sentiment, it’s backed by ongoing research programs like Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation work on Sports and Civic Participation and More in Common’s report on Politics and the Power of Sports.
Lisa, Coaches Rev and Matt Elkin, and former Stanford Men’s Basketball star Maxime Raynaud at Stanford’s “All Vote No Play” Democracy Day, 2025
What Can Athletics Teach Us About Being a Citizen?
In this episode, Rev, Joe, and I unpack how the fundamentals of team sports map directly onto the health of our democracy:
- Being a great teammate is a civic practice. Learning how to communicate across differences, trust the person next to you, and work toward a shared goal is the foundation of local civic health.
- Civic engagement doesn’t have to be formal to be powerful. Sometimes the most accessible entry point is as simple as a tailgate, free pizza, and a high-stakes game of rock, paper, scissors to get people talking.
- Recognizing “Unseen” Helpers: Teams run drills where athletes reflect on how trainers, custodians, medical staff, and referees make their success possible—building a habit of community gratitude and local awareness.
- Running “Civic Drills”: Engagement doesn’t have to feel preachy or boring. Campuses use tailgate gatherings, “Votesgiving” breakfasts, and competitive games of rock, paper, scissors to start real conversations about community impact.
- Focus on the “next play.” In sports and in civic life, when you don’t know exactly what to do next, you don’t stall out. You try something, learn from it, and execute the next play.
Featured Resources & Playbooks
Ready to bring these tools to your own campus, team, or community group? Check out the key initiatives mentioned in this episode:
- The Team’s Voter Captain Guide & Toolkits — Nonpartisan playbooks for student-athletes, coaches, and peer leaders to build a culture of voter participation.
- The Engaged Athlete Fellowship — Empowering student-athletes with leadership training to drive civic action on their campuses.
- Support The Team’s Virtual All Star Meeting — The national “civic tailgating” event that brings together college athletes, coaches, and administrators for an inspiring conversation with champions of social impact in and around sports.
Your Call to Action
I’ll leave you with a quick invitation inspired by our conversation:
Think about where you already have a team—whether that’s a sport, your workplace, a neighborhood group, or a family network. Think about what skills you bring to that huddle. Now ask yourself: Where can I bring those team-building skills to strengthen my broader community?
Listen to the full episode below, grab the guides at TheTeam.org, and drop a comment letting me know what “next play” you’re running in your community!
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Playing Optimistic Offense: Developing Teammates, Citizens and Leaders was first published by "How We Future," and is republished with permission.
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