The Congressional Women’s Softball Game returned to Audi Field in Washington on Wednesday, and the press corps team, known as the “Bad News Babes,” came out on top with a 22-16 win over the lawmakers. Now in its 18th year, the bipartisan matchup has become a Washington tradition that has nothing to do with party lines and everything to do with a cause.
The game started in 2009, organized by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz after her breast cancer diagnosis at 41. Since then, it has raised $5.8 million for the Young Survival Coalition, a nonprofit that supports young women facing breast cancer. Players from both parties, including Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon, took the field alongside members of the Washington press corps.
Ask the players what keeps them coming back and you won’t hear about the score. You’ll hear about the people they play for. One player noted that everybody on the team is playing for a particular person and a particular survivor, and that the camaraderie is exceptional. In a divided political climate, that’s a story worth sharing.
Have you ever played in a charity sports event here on the Suncoast? Tell us about it in the comments.
