Pre-Season Conditioning Drills


January to May


It’s pre-season! Let’s get prepared by doing training exercises to inspire us to do our best once the season starts. We encourage you to take time with your team once each month to discuss the importance of civic engagement in connection to athletics. However, feel free to complete these trainings in any way that feels meaningful for you and aligns with your schedule - we know how busy you are! That could mean completing them on your own, having a team discussion, or sharing your thoughts on social media to broaden the reach of these important resources. Please feel free to modify this schedule based on the needs of your team. 


January Training

It’s time to bring joy back to the ballot box.  Watch Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, give a TED talk on why voting matters, and how it brought joy to different communities. 


Time commitment: 15 minutes

February Training

Reimagine “citizen” as a verb with How to Citizen with Baratunde. Take their “what makes you a citizen” quiz and explore the resources that come up that align with your interests.


Time Commitment: 30 minutes

March Training

Watch a Chalk Talk from The Team's Video Library from an inspiring civic and/or athletic leader. Don’t know where to start? Try watching Steph Curry speak on how to “find your civic focus.”


Time commitment: 15 minutes

April Training

Watch a documentary on an athletic “civic leader.” Examples include: Muhammed Ali, Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, Arthur Ashe, Lebron James, Jackie Robinson, and Megan Rapinoe. Click below to choose your film.


Time commitment: depends on movie, ~2 hours

May Training

Watch a video from P/ATH sports from an inspiring leader of your choice. If you need somewhere to start, watch Julie Foudy speak on the power of using your voice as an athlete.


Time commitment: 15 minutes

Looking for more pre-season resources?

  • Watch

    • Watch HBO Films documentary "The Assist," a 20 minute film about how the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream channeled its influence to organize, inspire, and mobilize votes in the 2020 Georgia Senate Race.

    • Watch one of these video shorts on reimagining civic education through the work of contemporary singers and performers.

  • Listen

    • Listen to an episode of the “It Was Said: Sports” podcast, which explores some of the most moving speeches in sports history, narrated by NBA legend Doc Rivers.

    • Listen to this Burn It All Down podcast episode as a case study on how athletes coming together can create change.
  • Read


  • Interact

    • Take the Civic Superpower Quiz from Civic Season to learn more about styles of leading and how those characteristics have helped fuel influential leaders in history.

    • Civic Season has created  this iconic customizable poster that can be personalized and shared - fill it out yourself or with your team.
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