A soccer club might be born in the boardroom, but its history – its memories – are made outside, on the playing field and, in Seattle United’s case, in the community.
In July 2009, Seattle United didn’t have so much as a bag of balls, much less a field to call home. There were no coaches, no players, no teams. There was just a ton of work to be done.
Within eight months, the fruits of that labor would be borne. Eighty-three teams would be donning the Seattle United kit. Within four seasons would come the first state championships, and by 2015 Seattle United would make a statement to the world by becoming the first Washington team to win the prestigious Dallas Cup.
Ten years on, what has Seattle United wrought?
“I’ve always found them exploring what are the best and most correct answers to the most difficult challenges and problems,” states Tim Bauman, past president of Eastside FC. “They have always had a leading voice, and they’ve always been a leader in wanting to understand the problem and having an active voice in how to solve the problem. They really take a broader view, beyond just what’s best for Seattle United.”
Making A Difference
From the macro view to the micro, Seattle United has made a difference in the lives of young people.
“They changed my life,” attests Handwalla Bwana, now playing for Seattle Sounders FC. “Seattle United made me who I am today, and I really appreciate everything they’ve done.
“How many clubs would kick you out because it was best for you,” asks Bwana, whose family landed as Kenyan refugees in Seattle in 2010. They told me I had played at their highest level and now needed to go to the next level. Not a lot of clubs would do that.”
Bwana’s ascendance in the game may not have been possible without Seattle United’s devotion to making each kid’s experience the best possible. Although his skills were obvious from the outset, he initially played for West B96 Blue, a Seattle United select team. It was his first taste of 11v11 and, because it was a neighborhood-based team, it eased his mother’s fears of him traveling.
“We didn’t have the money, so (coaching director) Jimmy McAlister provided a scholarship, and my coach, Lance White, helped me find rides to practice,” remembers Bwana. “Sharon and Tom Walker, whose son played on the team, helped me get registered at (Hamilton Middle) school. They all came into my life, and they’re still here today.”
A United System
While playing for Seattle United Copa 96, Bwana was selected to Washington Youth Soccer’s Best XI for the 2015 state U18 tournament. Soon after came the opportunity to join the Sounders FC Academy, and that led to the University of Washington offering him a scholarship. Within three years Bwana was chosen Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, All-Pac-12 first team and signed to an MLS Homegrown contract by the Sounders.
Bwana’s path to playing professionally has all the markings of what Seattle United has strived to become: A regionalized select program integrated with a premier program that is open to all and dedicated to putting the kids and families’ interest first.
Starting From Scratch
Within days of Seattle United’s creation in July 2009, the board was swinging into action and by January 2010 Jimmy McAlister (coaching director) and Jason Farrell (technical director) had been hired to assemble the coaching staff. The initial tryouts were conducted at Shoreline Center, with coaches initially outnumbering players at first.
“We had to stand-up the club out of nothing,” notes Dave Richardson, club secretary/treasurer. Initially, the plan was to start with younger premier teams, ages 11-14, but circumstances soon forced SU to populate teams for all ages through U18.
Also, that spring an arduous process of applying to the Regional Club League culminated with the premier teams being admitted. All Seattle United teams began league play in September 2010, including selects in the Shoreline, Northeast, South and West regions.
Next: Success Beyond Trophies
Success did not come overnight. Yet by the fourth year of state championships, Seattle United were winning finals. The 99 and 00 Copa victories in 2014 were the first for SYSA in seven years. The 01 and 02 Copas claimed Seattle United’s first girls state championships in 2015, and altogether the club won six finals. The club has won at least two titles each year since, and select teams won 30 Washington Youth Soccer Founders Cup championships since 2010.
In April 2015, the 98 Copa boys entered the famed Dallas Cup after winning state league, cup and regional championships. They came home as the first Washington team to win a Dallas Cup crown in 35 years, 2-0 victors in the U16 final. The same team played for the USYSA championship that August and returned to the national finals again, making the U17 semifinals in 2016. Those are the best-ever national finishes for an SYSA-affiliated boys team.
Still, the biggest story of the first 10 years cannot be defined by victories and trophies, according to McAlister.
“I’m most talkative about what a diverse group of kids we serve,” says McAlister. “This club serves all kids. Here, pay to play is not an issue. Anybody that wants to play in our club, can play.”
Making a top soccer experience accessible to every boy and girl in each and every neighborhood, from Rainier Valley to Shoreline, is infinitely more significant because it can change lives.
A Community Asset
Soccer in Schools, a joint program with SYSA, introduces soccer skills to P.E. classes in Seattle Public School District’s selected elementary schools. Community outreach coordinator Carlos Enriquez has, since 2011, developed a curriculum that allows students of all levels to participate in activities and games during P.E. classes. The program also outfits a Metro League high school team each year.
Seattle United also conducts Friday night clinics around the city, open to all kids, from rec to premier, from Seattle and beyond. Club coaches conduct a rec outreach program to help parents who have volunteered to coach an SYSA team. “Kids have access to a high level of coaching and five times more often than before,” states Richardson. That has made all the difference.”
Club president Amy Gaffney’s original connection to Seattle United was as a parent. Her son started in select, then advanced to premier (Copa 03) and ultimately Sounders FC Academy. “Providing opportunities to play competitive soccer and achieve that next level if you’re skilled and motivated,” recounts Gaffney, “that’s different from other clubs.”
The United Effect
Dave Griffiths of SYSA marvels at the unified select/premier model. “You have players now moving up and down the structure, with Seattle United constantly monitoring their development,” says Griffiths. “If players are lacking confidence they can go down and gain that, and if they need more of a challenge they are moved up. It’s a forward-thinking, brilliantly tiered system.”
Since Seattle United took the field in 2010, three Seattle public high school boys teams have reached the state 3A championship game, winning two titles in the past three years. In the preceding 25 seasons, no Seattle Public Schools made a state final. The three championship teams (Roosevelt and Garfield) have at least one thing in common: Seattle United dominant rosters.
There are 2,200 players wearing Seattle United’s crest each season. Of those, notes McAlister, perhaps three or four might go pro someday. “So, we need to be teaching something more than soccer,” he says. “Of our kids, 99.9 percent will go on to study in college, work in businesses, serve in our military, so it’s essential that we teach them about sacrifice, about discipline and about being part of a team. That’s very, very important these days.”
In 2016, Seattle United became one of the first youth club partners of Sounders FC. Maya Mendoza-Exstrom, general counsel of Sounders FC, says Seattle United had exactly what they sought: A clear development mindset and model for every player in the club and, additionally, established ethical standards for coaches, players and families.
“They genuinely care about making soccer better in Seattle, and we could not be prouder partners,” confirms Mendoza-Exstrom. “It’s truly been a wonderful partnership – one that will grow and deepen over the coming years.”
A Special Club
Even as a teen, Zoe Birkbeck detected something was different about Seattle United. When she and her brother were playing matches, coaches from other teams showed up. Years later, after playing in college and professionally for Scotland’s Rangers, Birkbeck came home to become the first alumni to coach.
“I grew up with Seattle United, so I always knew if I ever coached, it would be here. It wouldn’t be the same anywhere else,” she explains. “They’ve done a great job to keep that familial environment. I coach the younger girls, and to have an older coach come watch and support is a huge thing, not only for me but the girls get so excited, too.”
Seattle United has established a college scholarship program. Past recipients have been recognized for their community service. “It’s scholarship money not for being necessarily a great soccer player but for being a great kid,” claims McAlister. “That makes them special and deserving of our help to get them through college.”
None of these feats would’ve been possible without the extraordinary effort and investment by a huge number of volunteers and a committed staff that has largely stayed intact through the first 10 years. Each weekend a bystander can discern the difference in Seattle United. There will be a half-dozen coaches, parents and players standing on the sidelines, observing another team play a league game.
Kyle Rodeheaver is the club’s regional director. Rodeheaver has coached with other clubs in other states. Aside from the state cups and national acclaim, there’s something he finds distinctly different about Seattle United. “The biggest thing is that people care,” concludes Rodeheaver. “There is a connection with each and every one of these kids, between the coaches and directors and everybody. That’s what sets us apart, caring about the kids and their families.”
The last 10 YEARS have been out of this world… But we need your help to make our future BRIGHT.
