Chalk Talks

Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr used his platform, microphone and influence to speak passionately about gun control during a press conference just before game 4 of the NBA Playoffs following a mass shooting on an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. What do you want to put your voice behind? How will you use your influence to make a difference?

Chalk Talks

"Whether you realize it or not as an athlete, you have a great impact and influence amongst peers and young people and others and this is a time to use it." - Senator Cory Booker. Watch Senator Cory Booker, former Stanford football player, talk about his belief that "Democracy is not a Spectator Sport." After you watch this short video, discuss how your team how will "get on the field" to support Democracy.

TikToks and Reels

Election Day is coming up and all NCAA teams have the day off from practice or play due to All Vote No Play legislation. Don’t waste all the hard work you have put in already - plan an All Vote No Play Day event with your team - try the guide below to start, and join our Engaged Athlete Network for support from The Team!

Athlete voices are some of the most influential on campus. Feel Good Action harnesses the power of micro-influencers on social media to turn Viewers into Voters. Contact them to help you create a powerful social media campaign using your voice to inspire impact and action!

Explore the When We All Vote advocacy campaigns which take on issues related to voter rights and strengthening our democracy. Check out the issues outlined and discuss with your team if there is something you could do to get involved.

Voter laws have been in massive flux in the last few years. Take some time to review the specific guidelines and key dates of your state through AllIN Campus Democracy Challenge's AllIN to Vote resource guide.

Voting rights, especially for Black and young voters, are under attack. When We All Vote is launching the VOTE LOUD HBCU Squad Challenge to empower HBCU students through grants and support to take a leading role in voter registration, education, and mobilization.

Every state has different voter ID laws. And with all the new voter law changes, this matters more than ever. VoteRiders is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides detailed voter ID assistance so that every American can cast a ballot that counts. Check out their state by state map, their guide for first time voters, or direct chat line to help players have what they need in time to vote.

We don't show up for games without a plan to win. The same is true for voting. Are you going to vote in person on Election Day? Early? By Mail? Before November, take some time to figure out what your game plan is to make your voice and vote count!

It can be hard for students to know if, where and when they've registered to vote. Vote.org is the largest, nonpartisan online digital platform to check the status of their voter registration. From there, a player can make informed choices about how to get current and ready for the upcoming election.

The first step in any action is to make the commitment to get involved. Sign the AllIN Campus Democracy Challenge Coaches Commitment form to join a growing list of campuses, coaches, teams, and programs that are putting their collective muscle behind Democracy.

Encourage players to spend some time exploring clubs or teams on campus, and consider attending a meeting or reaching out to someone in that club to get to know what that club is all about. Have them report back on what they discovered.

Dedicate time in your team meetings for players to share something about their own community or culture. Consider asking people to share a picture or bring a personal artifact: Where is your hometown or community? What is something you appreciate about it? What do you want others to know?

During a team meeting or within the team's group chat, ask players to share a civic action they took to help someone out in a productive and communal way. Then ask them to “tag” someone else on the team to do something similar. This doesn’t have to be a big action: offering to walk someone home, joining someone who is alone for lunch, or checking on a neighbor counts!

Ask if your team can do an Instagram takeover for your Athletic Department. On a portable whiteboard or piece of paper, write the prompt, “It is our civic duty as student athletes to vote because..” Have players fill in the blank, then take a picture and post it on your team, athletic department, or personal Instagram account tagging @theteamdotorg Consider turning into a cross-team competition!

Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) is the largest nonpartisan student voter network. Use their Student Leader starter pack to get some ideas on how to be a civic leader on your campus.

Engage with The Team’s civic drill in partnership with ActiVote featuring an exclusive video from Steph Curry!

Ever wonder what all of the different acronyms and shorthands in the nonpartisan student democratic engagement space stand for? Check out this guide for answers.

Citizening isn't just about voting or becoming politically active, it's about how you show up every day for yourself, your teammates, and others. Citizening shows up in the micro-moments, not just the big events. Are you flexing civic character that shows care and concern for others, are you building civic culture by modeling positive contribution? Take some time with your team to discuss: How are we "citizening"?

Engage with The Team’s civic drill in partnership with ActiVote, helping you design your ideal president.

ActiVote has a nonpartisan app to educate voters on important issues and help you plan to vote in your state. Download the app to start building civic habits, learn about policy, and feel empowered.

Showing care and appreciation is one of the best ways to strengthen your community. Get a pack of thank you notes. Write one hand-written note thanking someone for all they do for you. This could be someone you care about or someone you don’t really know (e.g., faculty or dining hall, administrative, or janitorial staff). Consider making it a challenge to turn this into a habit.

Personalize and share this iconic customizable poster from Civic Season. Ask your team to do it to prompt conversation, or post, tagging @historymadebyus and @theteamdotorg

Watch Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, give a TED Talk on why voting matters, and how it brought joy to different communities. Discuss ways that your players might reframe and engage with voting as a joyful, community experience.

Are you a Builder? Networker? Investigator? Resister? Communicator? Have your players take the Civic Superpower Quiz from Civic Season to learn more about their natural styles of leading and how those characteristics have helped fuel influential leaders in history.

SAACs are the student advisory committees that represent student-athlete voices to NCAA leadership. Ask your team: Do you know who your SAAC representative is? How do their beliefs and actions align with your values? How can you contribute to or influence their decisions? Learn more about them here and consider reaching out to get to know them or follow them on social media to keep up with their activities and positions.

Athletes are natural leaders, garnering influence well beyond their sport. P/Ath Sports offers short video clips from sports greats on life skills that have helped them live authentic, fulfilling, and purpose-filled lives. Try watching this video of Julie Foudy talk about the power of using your voice as an athlete. Watch even more of their videos and use their reflective prompts to foster new conversations and learning within your team.

June 23, 2022 was the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the civic rights landmark legislation that changed the trajectory of women's sports. Ask your team, as Sports Illustrated does in their cover story, what does Title IX mean to you? What access do you need to play your sport? What rights are being threatened that would compromise your ability to play and thrive? What can you do to make your voice and needs known?

Tufts University’s CIRCLE's National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) tracks voter registration and voting rates on your campus or geographic area! Assign players to take a look at the data and present at “stats report” on your school to see how you can make the biggest difference. It also tracks the highest areas of impact for the youth vote in 2022. Consider turning it into a contest with other neighboring schools to see if you can generate a bump in positive engagement rates!

Netflix created a new collection of video shorts on reimagining civic education through the work of contemporary singers and performers. Pick one or more, watch with the team, and discuss its significance.