The Washington Spirit is turning its home stadium, Audi Field, into a place of support for furloughed federal employees, offering free and discounted tickets in a move among several that have highlighted the team’s games as a forum for expression about broader events. The stadium, affectionately known as Rowdy Audi, typically echoes with the cheers of an average of 14,900 fans. On Sunday, it will include hundreds of furloughed workers. With those workers across the District of Columbia region fa
The stadium, affectionately known as Rowdy Audi, typically echoes with the cheers of an average of 14,900 fans. On Sunday, it will include hundreds of furloughed workers.
With those workers across the District of Columbia region facing financial uncertainty because of a government shutdown, the NWSL club framed its offer for the game Sunday against the San Diego Wave as a gesture directly for those employees.
“The halls of government may fall silent, but your service and sacrifice echo louder than ever in this region,” the team said in a post on its social media. “Your hard work has kept our nation moving. Through long nights, early mornings, and every unseen moment in between, you’ve built more than institutions, you’ve built a community that cares, protects, and believes.”
The move comes after previous games included chants from fans in support of D.C. statehood amid the presence of the National Guard.
The Spirit, who clinched a berth in the 2025 postseason with its 4-0 win over the Houston Dash last weekend, announced that 200 federal workers would be able to claim a voucher for a free ticket on a first-come, first-served basis. Within hours, they were claimed, according to the team’s CEO, Kim Stone, who said the campaign has seen an outpouring of positive feedback and called the move a “no-brainer.”
A limited number of $10 tickets will be made available to the match that’s nearing a sellout, allowing employees to bring friends and family at a significantly reduced cost.
Stone, who previously worked for the NBA’s Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors and has been involved in those communities during times of hurricanes and forest fires, believes sports can be a unifier in difficult times.
“Sports teams have this unique power in the community, and it’s a very important role for us to play. In this particular situation, I have neighbors who have lost jobs because of not just the federal layoffs, but also because the federal funds are being cut, grants are being cut. I have personally seen what this has done to families and what it has done to friends,” Stone told The Athletic.
“Some federal employees who took early retirement or forced resignations this summer are receiving their last paycheck next week. People are moving back in with their parents. It’s really devastating what has happened.”
D.C. is home to one of the largest populations of federal employees in the country, many of whom have been affected by layoffs earlier this year. The nation’s capital has also been subjected to some of President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly those related to immigration and public safety. His administration deployed the National Guard to D.C. in August and moved to assert federal control over the city’s local police force, actions critics denounced as government overreach.
Since President Trump’s anti-immigration policies began, the Spirit’s top priority has been fan safety. Working closely with Audi Field, a venue owned by the Major League Soccer team D.C. United, the Spirit has put plans in place to protect supporters on match days in the event of any raids during games.
“Fortunately, we didn’t have any of that materialize at any of our matches,” Stone said. “But when the National Guard came into D.C., you could just tell the community was hurting.”
For the past three home matches, the team’s supporters groups have led a stadium-wide chant that has become a rallying cry for D.C. residents since President Trump’s law enforcement surge. The idea took shape after members of Free D.C., a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group dedicated to winning local self-governance and dignity for the District’s residents, approached the Spirit Squadron, one of the team’s organized groups, about a possible collaboration.
The idea of chanting “Free D.C.” came together on the morning of the Spirit’s match against Louisville, just days after President Trump’s emergency order went into effect, Squadron leader Meredith Bartley told The Athletic. The plan was quickly shared with the other three supporters’ groups and posted on social media.
When the clock hits the 51st minute, a nod to D.C. becoming the 51st state, the chant erupts and sweeps across the stadium.
“We had no idea it would catch on the way it did,” Bartley said. “Truly one of the loudest chants I’ve heard in the stadium. And, they don’t call it Rowdy Audi for no reason.
“This kind of organizing isn’t new; we’ve been laying the groundwork for a long time. We’re not just fans of the game. Women’s soccer has always been about more than what happens on the field. That’s why I’m not surprised the Spirit are the only D.C. team to do something like this, because this is who we are. It’s the culture of the Spirit and of this community, one that both the club and groups like the Squadron are part of building.”
Players and coaches have gotten involved, too.
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The team shared what it called a love letter to D.C., shortly after the National Guard was deployed, in solidarity with the community. The post drew nearly 11,000 likes and an outpouring of comments. Ahead of the match against Racing Louisville on Aug. 15, Spirit forward Croix Bethune lent her voice to a narrated version of the letter, putting words, visuals, and personality behind what the city and its supporters mean to the club.
To carry the message of “different roots, same home, one spirit” onto the field, the Spirit debuted “I Love D.C.” T-shirts, worn pregame during the Aug. 31 game against Chicago.
“It’s something really powerful. We love this city and we love our community and we are having a great connection with our fans. I think it’s something powerful that people can come to Audi Field and enjoy with their families,” head coach Adrián González said after a Sep. 7 game against the Seattle Reign.
Last week, ahead of the Spirit’s game against the Houston Dash, Virginia-native Dash defender Anna Heilferty, who used to play for Washington, joined the movement, and the supporters gave out cards instructing people to join in the chant.
The Spirit is not the only NWSL team that showed solidarity with its community recently.
In June, ACFC players walked out in shirts reading “Immigrant City Football Club” before its home match against the North Carolina Courage, as a response to immigration raids in Los Angeles. The club printed 10,000 shirts that also said, “Los Angeles is for everyone / Los Angeles es para todos” on the back, distributing them to fans at BMO Stadium.
Coaches, executives and staff joined the players in wearing the shirts, and the NWSL Players Association also released a statement in conjunction with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Players Association about the raids at the time.
The Spirit is in the thick of a pivotal NWSL season, in second place with five matches to go. Riding a 12-match unbeaten run across all competitions, the team has a chance to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs with a win over San Diego on Sunday and help from a few other results around the league.
Following the success of this week’s campaign, Stone said she plans to offer free and discounted tickets to furloughed federal workers for the team’s last home game on October 18 and potentially during the playoffs.
“This is not a political statement,” Stone said. “This is us saying you’re hurting, we see you, we want to help you. This is about kindness, love, and a sense of community. We’re not trying to be antagonists. On the contrary, we’re trying to be kind, inclusive, celebrate and give hope to people who you know need a little inspiration today.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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