Players’ Club: Magen Wetmore

We love our players. So we’re highlighting our players in a new series: Players Club. We continue our series with DC Fray superstar Magen Wetmore.

There’s Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Erin Phillips—multi-sport athletes, that is. Here in the District of Columbia, we have Magen Wetmore, a communications strategist who also knows the ins and outs of the court, the field, and the diamond. 

Read on to learn more about the GW alumna’s plethora of Fray experiences.

District Fray: When did you start Fray?

Magen Wetmore: When I first moved to D.C. in 2013. I took a little break during Covid but I’ve been playing indoor and sand volleyball off and on for a while. I played softball a little bit when my husband and I first started dating. I didn’t know as much about it as he did, so it was a little bit more social for me. I’ve played kickball. I’m going to try to play flag football, see how that goes (laughs). I’ll just try different sports here and there. 

But your heart belongs to volleyball? 

I played growing up, in high school, and intermural in college. I was really glad to continue playing when I moved here and finding teams through Fray that are fun. I really like both indoor and sand volleyball. I’m more used to indoor having played that my whole life, but sand is a new challenge. Playing outdoors is fun. If the courts are free after games, sometimes we’ll just keep playing. 

What are your thoughts on possibly the most famous volleyball game ever? 

People always think of “Top Gun” (laughs). I’m pretty disappointed in volleyball scenes in movies and TV shows. They’re usually pretty cheesy and you can tell they don’t really play. But I love “The Office” episode where they play volleyball at the company picnic. That always makes me laugh. 

9 years is a while. Have you played with a lot of the same people? 

With having been here a while, I’ve been on a couple different teams. And with people moving away, and then Covid, it’s been a mix. But the people I play with or against are really fun, good natured people. There’s a good community of people who play volleyball in D.C. 

Including your significant other?

Yeah, my husband started playing. He picked up on it pretty quickly, and we’ve been on a team with a lot of the same people for a few seasons now. We’ve made some great friends. We ended up winning the league a few times. 

What’s it like playing together? 

Playing a sport together, doing something active and competitive, is a fun way to get to know each other better. It’s cheesy, but we realized we’re a team together (laughs). 

What’s your best Fray sales pitch? 

It’s active. It can be competitive if you want it to be or it could be fun and social. It’s a good way to experience the city, too. You can play on the National Mall or some other place cool. And there are so many sports options. There’s so much you can do. 

Favorite part of volleyball: Hitting and blocking. I was never a setter. Favorite D.C. Mode of Transportation: The city is so walkable. Favorite “Touristy” Spots: Green spaces like the Botanic Garden and the National Arboretum. Restaurant Rec: Indigo near Union Station. They have a nice patio and super delicious Indian food. D.C. Org People Should Know: Not to pick favorites, but Bread for the City, Martha’s Table, and D.C. Central Kitchen. They all do a lot of work on local food insecurity. 

Chad Dexter Kinsman