Five decades of Sounders alumni growing youth soccer in Seattle
There were two main goals for the Seattle Sounders when they joined the North American Soccer League in 1974.
The first was rather simple: to take home awards.
But the second would require decades of work and was no easy task. The players and staff thought it was their duty as guardians of soccer in Seattle to spread the sport throughout the area.
When we started, the game wasn’t that big of a deal, so guys like Dave Gillett (‘74-‘80), Adrian Webster (‘74-‘79), and Tommy Jenkins (‘76-‘79), went into the schools and really, really worked the community hard to make it what it is now,” said former defender Jimmy McAlister (‘76-‘79), who is the Director of Soccer at Seattle United.
Whether it be developing future professional and collegiate players, or simply the next generation of local soccer fans, Sounders alumni have utilized their experiences with the organization to give back to the Seattle community.
“A lot of people helped me in my career,” said former defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (‘09 -’13), who is an assistant coach with Midlakes United and spent several years with Crossfire Premier. “That’s why I want to introduce all the help that I received to help other people.”
