This article was written by members of the Sounders FC & RAVE Foundation Sports Media Institute. The SMI provides a select number of students the opportunity to learn and explore professional skills in the context of Sports Media and Major League Soccer. This program provides a unique opportunity for rising seventh, eighth and ninth grade students in the Puget Sound region, as it focuses on using Sounders FC soccer as a vehicle for empowerment and early career exploration.
On a sunny August afternoon, people gathered around the soccer cage at Valley Ridge Park while the Seattle Sounders van blasted music to pump up the arriving guests.