The 2024 Coaches’ Pledge is open to all college or university athletic department members, including athletic directors, coaches, student development staff, and more.
Washington, DC: In an effort to integrate nonpartisan civic engagement into college athletics, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and The Team are introducing the 2024 Coaches’ Pledge. The program provides coaches, administrators, and their student-athletes with nonpartisan resources focused on voter registration and civic engagement. Since the initial launch of the Coaches’ Pledge in 2020, over 2,000 coaches have signed the pledge, reaching nearly 40,000 student-athletes across the country.
The Coaches’ Pledge invites coaches and administrators to commit to sharing nonpartisan resources with their student-athletes, ensuring their teams are registered to vote, activating them on National Voter Registration Day (September 17, 2024) and uplifting the Coaches’ Pledge among their networks. To complement the initiative, the partnering organizations have created the Coaches’ Playbook, a comprehensive, user-friendly resource outlining how coaches can encourage civic engagement year-round.
“With the encouragement of coaches and athletics staff, we have seen how student-athletes can make a dramatic difference in encouraging democratic engagement among their peers,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Ph.D., Executive Director of ALL IN. “ALL IN is proud to continue our work with NABC, WCBA and The Team to help student-athletes make their voices heard at the ballot box and encourage their campus communities to do the same.”
“Coaches are uniquely positioned to help young people develop into both successful on-court athletes and impactful off-court citizens,” said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. “The NABC’s collaboration with the WBCA, ALL IN and The Team has helped ignite a passion across college athletics for supporting civic engagement, and we look forward to continuing this meaningful work in 2024.”
“Student-athletes are among our next generation of leaders in every facet of society. We must prepare them to lead and serve others as astute, thoughtful, and considerate citizens who participate in the democratic process by exercising their right to vote in elections and encouraging their fellow students to do the same,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is proud to once again partner with ALL IN, the NABC, and The Team to introduce the nonpartisan 2024 Coaches’ Pledge. We encourage our family of coaches to sign the pledge and commit themselves to the important process of helping their student-athletes register to vote, educate themselves on the candidates and issues, make their voices heard at the ballot box, and celebrate the privilege to do so that we have as Americans.”
This election cycle, the Coaches’ Pledge includes a partnership with The Team, a nonprofit that creates award-winning programming focused on integrating nonpartisan civic engagement and voter participation into college athletics. The Team works directly with athletes, coaches, and administrators to provide nonpartisan resources to increase voter participation, make civic engagement joyful and easy, build stronger teams, and reinforce commitment to community.
“We are thrilled to officially add The Teamto this impactful initiative and we are grateful for the leadership of ALL IN, the NABC, and the WBCA. Athletes, coaches, and administrators are some of the most influential leaders and impactful voices on college campuses. Helping student-athletes become better teammates, leaders, and citizens shapes their civic habits for life, positively influences the community, expands the culture of civic engagement, and strengthens our democracy”, said Joe Kennedy, Executive Director of The Team.
Through the Coaches’ Pledge, the partnering organizations are excited to support thousands of college coaches, administrators, and student-athletes as they commit to nonpartisan civic engagement in 2024.
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About ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) works with more than 1000 colleges and universities to empower them to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge envisions a more engaged and inclusive democracy. Through institutional engagement, direct student engagement, and fostering a national higher education network, ALL IN strives for an electorate that mirrors our country’s makeup and in which college students are democratically engaged on an ongoing basis, during and between elections, and not just at the polls. We believe that a strong, vibrant, and more representative American democracy will result from the greater inclusion of informed college student voters. For more information about ALL IN, visit allinchallenge.org.
About Civic Nation
Civic Nation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit home for changemakers who inspire, educate, and activate people around the issues that will define this generation. Civic Nation empowers and educates individuals, companies, institutions and organizations to drive culture, systems, and policy change, working towards a more inclusive and equitable America. Seven initiatives are a part of the Civic Nation family: When We All Vote, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, End Rape On Campus, It’s On Us, Made to Save and We The Action. Learn more here.
About The Team
The Team is a nonprofit organization that creates award-winning programming focused on integrating nonpartisan civic engagement and voter participation into college athletics. Our mission is to develop teammates, inspire leaders, and empower citizens. Working directly with athletes, coaches, and administrators, we provide nonpartisan resources to increase voter participation, make civic engagement joyful and easy, build stronger teams, and reinforce commitment to community. For more information about The Team, visit theteam.org.
About the NABC
The National Association of Basketball Coaches is a professional development and advocacy organization serving over 5,000 members in collegiate, scholastic and youth basketball. The NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary University of Kansas coach and student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. The NABC works to advance all levels of basketball and further the interests of the coaches and players who participate in the sport. NABC members are Guardians of the Game, upholding the core values of leadership, advocacy, service, education, and inclusion. For more information about the NABC, visit nabc.com.
About the WBCA
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.