Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

William Dennis exemplifies the spirit and purpose of the Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through his unwavering commitment to building inclusive systems, expanding access, and creating meaningful opportunities across the Fray community.

Throughout his leadership at Fray, William has consistently championed DEI principles by turning intention into action. He has played a key role in developing and supporting programs and partnerships that reduce barriers to entry, increase representation, and promote equitable participation across programming, leadership pathways, and community engagement. His approach balances strategic vision with practical execution, ensuring initiatives are sustainable, measurable, and scalable.

Beyond measurable outcomes, William’s influence has driven lasting cultural change within Fray. He is a trusted advocate, mentor, and collaborator who actively elevates diverse voices and empowers others to lead. His work has helped establish inclusive norms that extend beyond individual programs, strengthening Fray’s culture and deepening its commitment to equity, belonging, and community impact. The systems and relationships he has built continue to create opportunity and momentum well beyond initial implementation.

The Volley & Vibes Tournament was created to address an often-overlooked barrier to inclusion in social sports: emotional safety.

This event was inspired by a former Striker player who took their own life two years ago. They loved Striker Sports & Social, and their loss reminded us of a simple truth: while we may not change people’s lives, we can enhance them and that matters more than we realize.

This co-ed beach volleyball tournament was intentionally centered around mental wellness, belonging, and sportsmanship to ensure players of all backgrounds, skill levels, and identities felt safe, valued, and welcomed.

We opened the day by honoring Mental Wellness Month and inviting every participant to help create a respectful, supportive space where people could show up fully as themselves.

Each player received an individualized affirmation card at check-in, positive-message volleyballs, and uplifting stickers. A dedicated “Flock the Stress” zone offered space for reflection, stretching, and access to mental health resource information. Throughout the day, we passed out flamingo duckies with inspiring messages hidden underneath, small moments of joy that sparked connection and human connection.

The impact was immediate and measurable: zero incidents between players, visible peer-to-peer encouragement, and overwhelming feedback from participants who felt seen, supported, and uplifted.

With the blessing of the player’s family, Volley & Vibes is now becoming an annual event held in their memory. Ensuring that their love for this community continues to create space for belonging, care, and inclusion.

By treating mental wellness as an equity issue, this event created lasting cultural change and demonstrated how intentional design can remove invisible barriers to participation.

Club Sport partnered with the local group "Inclusive Play Every Day" to develop and execute a GAME DAY for kids with all types of special needs. Designed as a low-key Field Day for everyone, the goal was to allow kids of all abilities to feel the fun and sense of accomplishment that is more routinely available only to "typical" kids. Teams were formed with kids and teens with special needs as well as volunteer "typical" teens as mentors and teammates. The teams designed team flags and cheers and rotated through 8 events that were modified so anyone can accomplish the challenge. Parents and adults volunteered to run each event. The day concluded with pizza & a group water balloon toss. It was incredibly successful with smiles had by all...and will continue as an annual event.

AIn 2025, FXA Sports took intentional steps to expand and diversify its team. While continuing to hire top talent, FXA prioritized inclusive hiring practices, which lead to adding two new female employees. Today, women make up nearly half of FXA’s 9 person full-time staff, with three of four female employees serving in key operational roles.

This top-down approach to diversity directly influenced FXA’s programming. In 2025, FXA proudly offered 11 women’s-only leagues across six sports, soccer, basketball, pickleball, lacrosse, football, and volleyball, and hosted two women’s soccer tournaments. Guided by a diverse decision-making team, FXA invested in expanded field access to support the growth of women’s tournaments, resulting in a 50% increase in participation from one tournament to the next (in just 4 months). This allowed them to offer the women’s tournament at their own stand alone venue separate from the men’s tournament.

Chicago Sport and Social Club (CSSC) acquired Women's Sports Chicago, a local social sports organization that has prioritized and empowered women, non-binary, and trans athletes since 2012. The acquisition of the organization allows CSSC to continue the programs began and nurtured by Women's Sports Chicago, with the goal of solidifying and growing opportunities for women, non-binary and trans athletes for years to come. The acquisition also expands and diversifies CSSC's existing offerings to better serve all communities. The acquisition has begun with CSSC adding an additional Soccer league to the existing offerings of Women's Sports Chicago, and a change to the registration process across all of CSSC introducing more inclusive language around gender identity for participants. The Women's Sports Chicago programs will serve an estimated 1,600+ participants in 2025-26.