By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The WIAA Executive Board is thrilled to announce Tara Davis as its first Black woman to join the state’s governing body for its junior high and high school sports programs. The Executive Board is made up of nine members who are elected from the WIAA membership, and four at-large members selected by the Executive Board, giving the 13-member body a mandate to administer the policies, rules, and procedures of the Association and make decisions in the best interest of the entire state’s athletic program.
“It’s an honor to be part of this board as a Black woman and someone understanding the nuance of athletics at the state level,” says Davis. “There aren’t many that look like me represented at the state level. I believe I might be the only one, maybe the first African American female to be a part of the executive board.”
“At the end of the day, the recognition is not about me,” Davis adds. “It’s about the work that gets done and the people that you’re able to serve within the work that gets done and the outcomes.”
Davis is recognized as one of the state’s most decorated female athletes in history. A standout high school athlete in both basketball and track and field, Davis went on to establish an outstanding career at the University of Washington and a successful professional career, playing in the American Basketball League (ABL), one of the first major women’s professional leagues, and had stints in Europe. Davis returned home and enrolled at the University of Washington, where she received her master’s degree in education leadership policy.
Davis’s leadership was forged through competition throughout her career as well as the life lessons she acquired during her journey. According to Sun Tzu, there are five principles of leadership: intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness. Throughout her career, Davis has exuded each of these attributes, but the one she prizes and prioritizes in her value system is “humaneness”—caring for others through one’s leadership.
“I got to this point in my career as I was working corporate, I realized that my job, although it allowed me to manage and take care of my life and my lifestyle, my kids, I wasn’t essentially living in my passion,” says Davis. “Wanting to really serve and work with people, especially young people, students—it was very intricate for me and an integral part of my success being a student-athlete, both at high school and collegiately, and I understood the importance of being part of the team, having more impact on your community in a positive way and being part of something that’s great.”
Davis’s leadership philosophy revolves around doing the right thing, even when it means going against the grain.
“I don’t know if leadership is something you discover, but something you recognize,” says Davis. “When you see something that isn’t right, instead of going along with the group, you go against the grain. And I was probably somebody who went against the grain from the time I started participating in athletics. So, I always knew that for me, it’s about doing the right thing. And as my predecessor Eric McCurdy said, ‘choosing the difficult right over the easy wrong.’ The difficult right isn’t always popular, but it’s the right thing to do.”
“Now, full circle, looking back on that, I think it was always in me,” Davis continues. “And being able to serve my community, to serve those in my community, is not just a huge accomplishment, but it’s very humbling to be in that position to say, I care, and I want to see change in a more positive way and I want to be part of that change.”
Being a part of something larger than herself and working within the power structure to help improve the student-athlete experience is what drove Davis to pursue a seat on the WIAA Executive Board.
“I knew I wanted to give back and be in this community and be a part of something bigger than me,” says Davis. “Understanding the dynamics in the world, having an opportunity to work with people on multiple committees, realizing the importance of the work we do at the state level—when the opportunity presented itself, I thought it would be great for me to be a part of that decision-making body. And if I had the opportunity—and I did—that’s when I put my name in a hat and went for it, and now I’m here.”
As a member of the board, Davis’s agenda is to provide both the students and the athletes with an opportunity to experience a “full and enriched experience,” and she sees her role as strengthening opportunities and relationships among students, staff, and the community.
“I think ultimately interscholastic athletics, or educational-based athletics, really is about serving the student and our students having a full and enriched experience—a well-rounded experience,” says Davis. “Whether you’re an athlete or a student who attends athletic events, it should be a safe space and a positive space for people to engage.”
“Building community, coming together, and building bridges—that’s what educational-based athletics is all about,” Davis adds. “So in that role, for me, it’s just continuing to strengthen those bonds and relationships and those opportunities for students to engage.”
Of course, Davis acknowledges that challenges lie ahead. As school districts face issues like budget deficits and concerns about violence in schools, she understands this path will not be an easy one.
“The greatest challenges are resources,” says Davis. “It’s also an old-school mentality and thought. It’s sometimes people in positions who believe that they are all-knowing and think they know what’s best for young people, as opposed to engaging with young people and asking them questions. I can tell you the leadership within the WIAA is great. You have people in there who are learning the role of who they are, open to collaborating and taking on other perspectives and other vantage points. I think there’s been a shift in mentality, a shift in how things are being done, and intentionality of how we make these programs better. How do we make our systems better and create guidance and rules around that, so we don’t have barriers for students who are participating.”
For Davis, not only is giving back to the community and serving others the foundation of her leadership philosophy, but the opportunity to represent is paramount—showing up and giving young Black people a visible representation of what is possible.
“Again, it’s an honor to be part of this board as a Black woman,” Davis reiterates. “There aren’t many that look like me represented at the state level.”
