District Dribble

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

The Washington Wizards’ “District Dribble” campaign put a basketball in the hands of every PreK–5th grade student at 80 D.C. public schools. The campaign delivered 29,934 brand-new basketballs across the city, transforming access to the game for an entire generation of young fans.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

District Dribble represents excellence in engagement by meeting future fans where they are—inside their schools, their neighborhoods and their daily lives—and making them active participants in the game of basketball. Rather than asking young fans to come to the arena, the Wizards brought the game directly to nearly 30,000 students across Washington, D.C., ensuring every child had the opportunity to pick up a basketball and play.

The initiative sets a new benchmark for fan engagement by combining scale, personalization and community partnership. Every student received their own basketball, each school experienced a customized giveaway moment featuring team personalities, and students were invited to continue the experience through digital engagement like the “Bounce Back” photo contest. By integrating in-school activations, storytelling and social participation, District Dribble extended engagement beyond a one-day event into an ongoing relationship with young fans and their families.

For the sports industry, District Dribble demonstrates how teams can build deeper, earlier and more authentic fan connections by embedding themselves in community institutions. It shows that meaningful engagement is not just measured in impressions or attendance—but in access, participation and lasting impact.

Objective

District Dribble was inspired by Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis’ childhood experience receiving his first basketball from a community organization in Brooklyn. That simple gesture sparked his belief in the transformative power of sports—an experience that ultimately shaped his path to building Monumental Sports & Entertainment.

Guided by that belief, the Wizards launched District Dribble as the flagship campaign of MSE’s youth sports platform, District of Play. In partnership with DC Public Schools (DCPS), the initiative set out to provide every PreK–5th grade DCPS student with a brand-new, Wizards-branded NBA regulation-size basketball ahead of the district’s 2025 spring break—totaling more than 29,000 basketballs distributed across 80 schools.

The objective was simple but powerful: ensure that thousands of young students across Washington, D.C. had the opportunity to pick up a basketball and experience the game for themselves. By pairing access to play with a citywide celebration of the sport, District Dribble also aimed to inspire confidence and possibility in D.C.’s youth while reinforcing the Wizards’ role at the center of the city’s basketball community—and planting the seeds for the next generation of fans.

Strategy & Execution

District Dribble brought the phrase “it takes a village” to life, transforming a simple ball distribution into a citywide activation connecting young fans, families and the broader community to the game of basketball.

The campaign began with a large-scale volunteer effort at Capital One Arena, where more than 300 MSE staff and partners gathered to inflate 10,000 basketballs for the first round of deliveries—setting the tone for a community-driven initiative.

On March 20, 2025, the Wizards launched District Dribble with a pep rally at Browne Education Campus featuring Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chairman Ted Leonsis, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the DCPS Chancellor and players from the Wizards, Mystics and Capital City Go-Go. The group arrived on a District Dribble–branded Big Bus alongside the Ballou High School marching band before leading the first basketball giveaway.

In the weeks that followed, Wizards, MSE staff, and community partners distributed basketballs across all participating schools, with mascot G-Wiz making a special appearance at the final delivery.

The campaign extended beyond the gym through pre-event storytelling, a special in-school video message from Wizards host Brit Waters, influencer engagement, and the “Bounce Back” photo contest encouraging families to share students using their new basketballs.

Organizations

• The Washington Wizards

• Monumental Sports & Entertainment
• Monumental Sports Network
• District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)

Credits

Monica Dixon
President, External Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Shannon Clancy
Director, Youth Basketball
Washington Wizards

Katrice Dickson
Senior Manager, Youth Basketball Growth & Development
Washington Wizards

Rebecca Winn
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Washington Wizards

Hunter Lochmann
Chief Marketing Officer
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Alycen McAuley
Chief Business Officer
Washington Mystics

Marycate Walsh
Vice President, External Affairs
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Paul Turner
Vice President, Productions
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Yannick Skerritt
Producer
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Blaine Fridrick
Senior Art Director
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Cedric Young
Associate Graphic Designer
Washington Wizards

Cassidy Lien
Senior Vice President, Game Presentation
Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Taylor Milner
Director, Game Presentation
Washington Wizards

Abigail Cohen
Partnerships Director
District of Columbia Public Schools

Britt Waters
In-Game Host/ On-Air Talent
Washington Wizards

Wes Hall
Anchor, Host and On-Air Talent
Monumental Sports Network