Amina Robinson, Grace Allread, and Maxine Engel at Voice In Sport Foundation’s Capitol Hill Day

Amina Robinson [Beanie, GW Volleyball], Grace Allread [Peaches, GW Volleyball], Maxine Engel [Max & Ruby, GW Basketball]
MARCH 6, 2025

Hear from GRH Athletes Amina, Grace, and Maxine as they share their involvement with the Voice In Sport Foundation and recount their experience at VISF’s Capitol Hill Day.

What is Voice In Sport?

We operate in the non-profit portion of Voice In Sport, known as the Voice In Sport Foundation. VISF strives to advocate for women in sports through its involvement in research, education, and advocacy. Through Title IX education efforts and the drafting and introduction of the Fair Play for Women Act, VISF is taking strides to level the playing field for girls and women in sports and to create more opportunities for them to thrive.

Introductions

Maxine Engel

My name is Maxine Engel (aka Max & Ruby) and I am a senior on GW’s Women’s Basketball Team. My first introduction to Voice In Sport came in the summer after my sophomore year when an advocate from the Georgetown Women’s Basketball Team invited our team to the very first introduction of the Fair Play for Women Act. I immediately was interested in how VISF was student-athlete focused and led. Whether it be how student-athletes helped draft the FPWA or monthly advocacy meetings getting to know athletes from all across the country, I knew I wanted to be a part of it and ultimately bring the community to GW.

Amina Robinson

My name is Amina Robinson (aka Beanie) and I am a junior on GW’s Women’s Volleyball Team! I was introduced to Voice In Sport after they did a Title IX presentation for our athletics program last fall; I completely fell in love with the movement behind the organization. I remember feeling so empowered as a female athlete and I immediately wanted to be a part of such a strong, inspiring force, and a cause that was bigger than myself. After the event I reached out to Peaches and Max & Ruby to join GW’s chapter and the rest is history! It is so fulfilling being a part of a club that uplifts and advocates for equal rights in college athletics, promotes community engagement and building sisterhood, and so much more on an annual basis.

Grace Allread

My name is Grace Allread (aka Peaches <3) and I am a senior on GW’s Women’s Volleyball team. I deeply value investing in people, building meaningful connections, and fostering relationships. During my sophomore year, I wanted to help create a space where female athletes could come together and truly support one another. When Maxine introduced me to Voice In Sport, I was instantly inspired by this passionate group of women advocating for our voices to be heard and valued. I knew I wanted to be a part of it! Soon after, we created a Voice In Sport club here at GW to cultivate a community of connected, supportive female athletes who actively advocate for gender equity and inclusivity in athletics.

What was the focus of VISF’s Capitol Hill Day, Feb 5th? How did the day go?

VIS’s Capitol Hill Day on February 5th was amazing! The event coincided closely with the reintroduction of the Fair Play for Women Act and was also on the same day as National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The focus of the day was to garner support and engagement from community members, student-athletes, and congressional leaders.

Voice In Sport advocates from across the country came together to support and promote the reintroduction of the Fair Play for Women Act to members of Congress throughout Capitol Hill, striving for Congress members to co-sponsor the bill. Following this grassroots approach, VISF advocates gathered for a Title IX briefing by Voice In Sport leader Stef Strack and learned more about what gender equity looks like in sports (factors like funding, scholarships, and media representation are a part of it!). Then nine female-student athletes from across the country shared testimonies of their experiences and advocacy work with Voice In Sport, as well as how their institutions were failing to meet Title IX requirements. One of these athletes was our dear friend and GW Track athlete, Janae Russell.

“The Fair Play for Women Act ensures true equity in sports by demanding real investment. When women’s teams receive equal resources and visibility, they don’t just compete–They thrive.” – Janae Russel

Additionally, a member of Congress came to speak in support of the FPWA, followed by lots of pictures in front of the VISF backdrop and Capitol Hill!

What does the Fair Play For Women Act mean to you?

Grace

The Fair Play for Women Act will implement actionable items to ensure schools create environments where all student-athletes can thrive. This act expands reporting requirements of college and K-12 athletics data, holds athletic programs and associations more accountable for the inequitable treatment of student-athletes, and improves education and awareness of Title IX rights among students and administrators. I support this legislation because I believe it is the logical next step in requiring equitable treatment of student-athletes, providing them with the resources they need to excel in their sport while being supported and celebrated for all their hard work.

Maxine

It is not an overstatement to say that sports have made me into the person I am today and further have largely transformed my life. I believe sports have the power to do that to anyone given the opportunity, and the Fair Play for Women Act is a tool to create more of these opportunities for girls and women in sport.

Amina

The Fair Play for Women Act ensures that universities are equally supporting their men’s and women’s sports in all aspects of Title IX, including equitable treatment (laundry list), scholarship, and participation. Being a female athlete my entire life, I have witnessed firsthand the inequity between women’s and men’s sports programs, especially within my college career. I will never forget the first time I went to a GW Men’s Basketball game, and saw all of the advertisements and promotions for the match, then realizing that a lot more people go to GW than I thought after seeing thousands of students in the stands. I thought to myself, where was this support during our winning season, and why weren’t our games promoted like this? The Fair Play for Women Act not only addresses these gaps in advertisement inequity, but it goes so much deeper into the ugly truths of the NCAA in terms of gender inequity. This act means justice.

How does your involvement in VISF connect to exposing youth in GRH programming to female athlete role models and different sports/games?

Grace

Playing Hormone Monster (an activity in Grassroots Health’s sexual health curriculum) the other day, I noticed that many of the male students were taking over the game. As a female athlete in middle school, I remember feeling this same way in gym class. In the gym, I frequently felt there wasn’t space for me to step in and contribute. Recognizing this dynamic, I asked if they wanted a ball, and when they nodded, I distributed most of the dodgeballs I got during the rest of the game to the female students. With that simple shift, they stepped in and made a huge difference for their team. This moment reflects exactly what Voice In Sport stands for: creating space for women to step in and ball out while feeling supported along the way. This mindset shapes the way I live my life, including my time as a Grassroots coach. By making intentional choices to ensure young girls feel included and empowered in sports, I help them see that they can belong and lead in spaces they might have once felt left out of. I feel grateful to pour into these students in such a meaningful way.

Amina

Voice In Sport does an excellent job of advocating for gender equality in sports and expanding opportunities for girls and women in athletics overall. Being a female athlete in GRH programs allows young girls to see a real visual of what’s possible—they, too, can take their sport to the next level just like their male peers, who have been fed that encouragement their whole lives. Middle school can be an isolating environment for many young girls, who often shy away from opportunities because they are told they aren’t capable or are too afraid to participate. I hope that GRH female athletes can continue to inspire young women in these schools to pursue their own athletic careers, knowing that they can also be successful in their sport, and are just as capable as anyone else!

Maxine

VISF advocates for gender equity in sport and increased opportunities for girls and women in sport through its strengthening of Title IX in the FPWA. Participating in GRH programming and exposing youth to my involvement in sport allows them to see the lengths that sports can take you and its power. Middle school is where these opportunities are often taken away from girls and/or they drop out, commonly because of a lack of investment or resources. By being a consistent female athlete role model for them, I can inspire a girl to try out for a team or stick to the sport she has been playing just to see where it can take her.

What do you hope the future looks like for women in sports?

Amina

Women are a force to be reckoned with. In the future, I pray that the narrative of women’s sports changes for the better. Phrases such as “you play like a girl” will take on a whole new meaning, one that is powerful, fierce, and determined. In the future, I hope that all people identifying as women take back their voices and show the world what lighting a fire inside really looks like. More advertisement for women’s sports, more money towards women’s sports, more participation, more recruiting, more power. The fight for equality continues!

Grace

I want to focus on one issue that feels especially pressing for this question. With so much misinformation spreading in the media about our beautiful transgender women in sports, I hope the future for women in sports looks like a more inclusive space: A space where all people who identify as women feel safe, heard, and holistically supported in their participation in sports, embraced as the incredible women they are!

Maxine

I hope to see increased opportunities and investments in sports for women, especially youth sports. The earlier that girls can be introduced to sports and take on all the values and characteristics that are built through the experience, the more confident women we will see leading in our society.