OPINION:
When the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy takes the field for the annual Secretaries’ Cup, it is far more than a football game. It is a tribute to service and sacrifice that unites cadets, midshipmen, veterans and proud families.
Yet this month, the 11th-hour rescheduling of the matchup at Audi Field shattered months of meticulous preparation.
In Washington, a city built on tradition, the disruption hits especially hard. Unlike a standard sporting event, the Secretaries’ Cup requires academy leaders to coordinate rigid regimental schedules, travel and meals for hundreds of traveling students.
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Meanwhile, families — including aging veterans and alumni — booked flights and hotels and pre-paid for reunions across the city. Leaving the kickoff time unresolved until 48 hours before the game showed a profound disregard for families committed to service.
This is not a critique of the Washington Spirit. I am proud of women’s professional sports and the Spirit team members earned their playoff moment on their home field. Demanding fairness for our service academies does not diminish support for these stellar athletes.
We should not pit pro players against unpaid student-athletes training to serve our country. Both groups deserve their moments and neither one created this scheduling problem.
What cannot be ignored is the stark imbalance in who pays the price for this disruption. While Audi Field, D.C. United and other entities stand to capture substantial revenue from broadcast rights and ticket sales for the soccer match, the financial and logistical fallout has been pushed squarely onto the backs of civilian and military families, student-athletes and two federal service academies.
Our capital’s premier sports venues should reflect the best of our civic values: honor, commitment and integrity.
Audi Field and D.C. United have an immediate opportunity to show their appreciation for service with a just resolution. To make this right, they should refund affected fans for game and Fanfest tickets, waive venue fees such as parking and reach out to both academies with an offer to offset the massive logistical costs of this sudden shift.
CAITLIN DAWKINS
Chantilly, Virginia
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