The Coalition community was founded in January 2021 and now has over 1,000 members. While that isn’t the biggest esports team operating on Zwift, IndieVelo or MyWhoosh, it definitely makes us one of the larger teams. Of course, not all members are active on the discord server or on the esports platforms all of the time, and not everyone wants to race. But despite this we have the third largest number of community level racing teams in ZRL. The Coalition also fields teams in FRR, Ladder League and WTRL’s weekly TTT across different timezones and was very active in the Dirt Racing Series. In short, we’re an active and vibrant club!
The contributions that so many make to the fabric of the team is what makes our community special. The community on discord is one where racers with an FTP of 1.0 w/kg or 5.0 w/kg, in APAC, EMEA or the Americas timezones can find someone of their fitness level to train with, teammates to race with, and someone to connect with over racing, music, memes or food.
There are so many things that build our community and so many people that support the essence of who we want to be. Founded as an elite Esports team in 2019 by Rhys Howell, the Coalition branched out, creating community-level racing teams. As Coalition grew, the original moderators and administrators contributed real world tech savvy and organizational brilliance to structure the server so that it could absorb more members and do more for those members. Captains stepping into what Luciano detailed in his “A ZRL Captain’s Work is Never Done” are cursed and blessed to receive the end product of that high level of organizational competency. TTT Captains, Ladder League Captains and DRS Captains also have access to a level of support akin to working at a mid sized company. Submit a ticket formally, or contact Matthias or Vincent, to create a spreadsheet or system which helps in the cat herding process, and they spend hours of their time helping.
With that high level of organization came the passionate few on Zwift willing to do hard work talking about and implementing procedures to ensure fair and transparent racing. A group within the team led by Rhys, Alice and Luciano worked to put together and implement protocols for every level of racer - giving some leeway to new racers or riders that are first entering the sport but asking that they have both their height and weight up to date and honest, and their equipment properly calibrated, so they don’t hit an unfortunate reality after rocketing to the top of the sport within a month. Upholding this standard isn’t always popular with everyone, and it sometimes requires having difficult conversations with riders who don’t see the necessity of upholding these standards for non-elite racers. But The Coalition has always believed that it is all of our responsibilities to ensure clean and fair racing. This grass roots approach is vital and something we would love to see more eracing teams take more seriously.
Another passion of The Coalition is equitable access for racers of all genders and levels. Our commitment to provide a safe space for riders of all types goes from the ability to choose pronouns within the server to having unofficial spokespeople for every identity. The Coalition aims to fully support Zwift’s mandate of offering a place free from discrimination for all to ride in, and the Diversity Board our Diversity Board contains LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and Women leadership to represent the interests of our entire community..
From veterans to new riders, support abounds in our club. A relatively new member of The Coalition, Leanne, has run an introduction to ZRL clinic to destigmatize the process of racing and give newbies a basic level of competency and confidence prior to their first races. A long serving teammate Barb has been working for years with D category women racers to help them gain fitness and finesse in weekly TTT’s and race series, spending time and effort to build each racer up. Our club is in the process of launching a new coaching program, and we even have a development pathway in place to help top level community riders break into elite racing.
Many on The Coalition are passionate about training and developing riders into the best versions of themselves. In true Coalition fashion, many on the server offer their physiological, psychological, technical and tactical expertise to any who wants to hear it. This ranges from the weekly workout sessions Christiaan developed to the updated power tables Matthias created for TTT usage to the race craft and training advice Alice has given to those who have asked. And for those riders struggling with motivation or injury, we have the best teammates bar none in Jill and Barbi, who volunteer their time to DS riders of every level, put together yoga tutorials for those struggling with low level sport injuries, collect and tabulate results each week so every rider can feel recognized for their efforts and accomplishments. The community on Coalition brings their real world expertise to the table, whether that’s the energy of a new graduate from school, the wisdom of a C-suite professional or the patience of a retiree.
All of these individual contributions weave a safe, supportive environment where riders can thrive, and when they are ready, many in turn volunteer their own time or expertise in whatever form works for them. Club members who wish to contribute need only offer their assistance. In short, The Coalition is an amazing club for riders driven by passionate riders. Members feel so strongly connected to their teammates that they often meet up IRL, across the globe, to race, ride or just hang out. From Seattle to Virginia to the French Alps, our team has found their connections stand the test of crossing from virtual to in person.
