Whether covering a local high school or college clinching a championship win, standout athlete on the road to stardom, community program, or the recent Commanders comeback season, sports stories are important to The Washington Informer.
Sports are an exciting aspect of culture that allows for thrilling games, offers conversations about health and wellness, highlights history makers and creates opportunities for community outreach and engagement.
As The Informer marks 60 years, local leaders in sports are honoring the publication’s major milestone and celebrating the media outlet’s dedication to sports reporting in the D.C. area and highlighting athletic achievements in Black communities around the nation and worldwide.
Darrell Green, legendary player of the Washington Football Franchise:
“As a 40+ year Washington, D.C./DMV community transplant, I have had the extraordinary privilege of witnessing firsthand the amazing talents of the people behind The Washington Informer!
“On behalf of every athlete (mom, dad, son and daughter) in the region, I would simply like to say how much we all sincerely thank you for the many decades of valuable coverage and responsible storytelling about our hometown teams and the players that we all hold so dear! Absolutely invaluable to us all! Congratulations on 60 years!”
#Forever28
Kenneth Owens, director of athletics for the DC State Athletic Association since 2015:
“The Washington Informer has been instrumental in the coverage of our championships, especially those like chess and ultimate frisbee. It both educates and gives exposure to our non-traditional athletes. It gives exposure that we do not normally get.”
Pigskin Club President William Chesley (involved with the organization since 1990):
“We at the Pigskin Club are grateful for the coverage that The Washington Informer has given over the years. The coverage and support have been important to the work that we are doing,” said Chesley. “The coverage helps in telling our story and continues to make us a viable part of the Washington, D.C. community.”
“The high school programs rank among the best that the nation offers in sports and athletes,” Chesley continued. “There have been numerous coaches and athletes who have gone to be recognized nationally for their achievements, courtesy of The Informer.”
Dr. Alan Chin, who has spent his entire career working with athletes in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system as a former coach and director of athletics:
“It’s a credit to Calvin Rolark that he had the vision to provide coverage for the D.C. community. The other newspapers were covering high school sports but as they expanded the coverage, the local sports and programs got less and less coverage. That is where The Informer picked up the slack. It became such a factor that coaches and athletes knew that they would get the coverage. I know that many started scrapbooks to keep the article written in The Informer.”
Chevonne Mansfield, executive senior associate athletics director at Howard University:
“Athletics at Howard has recently experienced as much success as any time in school history. We don’t always get the coverage that we feel we deserve. But The Informer covers a lot of feature stories and profiles that you may not read anywhere else. It gives a special platform for the program. The Informer is definitely a friend to Howard University Athletics.”
Michael Lightfoot, founder of Boot Camp, a physical fitness and health awareness program, celebrating its 20th anniversary, based out of Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Northeast, D.C.:
“We are so pleased to have the article done on us in The Washington Informer. Since that article, we have had a 10-15% spike in members. But also, we have had some members of the Indian and Turkish communities join. That coverage did as much for the program as we could have imagined. The Informer is a credit to this community.”
last year won the world championship. The Washington Informer covered their achievements.
Sherita McGill and Sharde Perry, co-founders of Jump DC, winners of last year’s Double Dutch world championships:
“Before the article that The Informer did on us, there were very few people who knew who we were and what we do. The article raised awareness and it’s amazing how we are in demand to display the talents of these young people. It is good to have someone tell these kinds of stories to the community.”