One of the greatest blessings that sports have is the visibility and traction that they bring in. The competitive and symbolic nature that sports have intrigued many and in turn draws people in to watch whether it be in person or through a TV screen. The visibility also doesn’t end once the game is over as there are normally press conferences and talk shows dedicated to addressing the game’s top moments and the situation surrounding them.
This visibility that sports can create can be drawn back in history to when they were first created. This is because many sports were created to entertain those in high standings. The reason I am addressing this visibility is because it is something that many nonprofits strive to achieve. As I have continued to learn more about nonprofits I have seen that the most valuable and scarce commodity to nonprofits is visibility.
I recently read an article that talked about this new league that not only takes a unique approach in the way it is set up but also uses the visibility that they generate to create change within their community. This league is Athletes Unlimited (AU) which was founded in 2020 and has four women’s sports leagues – softball, volleyball, lacrosse, and basketball – all of which provide those in their respective sports an opportunity to pursue a pro career. While they are not a nonprofit they are a hybrid between a nonprofit and a for-profit company, which is otherwise known as a Public Benefit Corporation.
Unlike other sports leagues, there are no sole owners of the teams and while there is a governing body with stockholders the athletes themselves participate in a share-holding part of the league. This brings the athletes’ voices into important conversations about how things work and allows them a seat at the table. As well, AU encourages their members to get involved in their community and even has a program where a portion of their bonuses go towards a nonprofit of the athletes choosing.
The approach that AU takes is even more unique as the sports for which they have leagues are ones that would not have professional leagues if it weren’t for AU. They often receive far less hype and conversation for a variety of reasons but yet with this approach of bringing the community and players in they can generate that visibility. Again they are not a nonprofit but they are set up as to the benefits from the revenue they create better impacts the players and not just those in governing positions.
As I was reading the article on AU and hearing athletes who participate in AU voice their opinions on the league I was able to see that they truly are creating change. While AU hasn’t had this massive blowup in views and has had a pretty quiet entry into the sports market the innovative and forward-thinking that the company has is encouraging to see. Especially as someone who knows that there is a unique relationship that sports have with service and creating the change I was encouraged to hear about this new format and hope to continue to see more leagues like this in the future.