RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Sounders FC is vying for a top spot in the Major League Soccer Table, and on top of that, they’re helping kids finish on top when it comes to their health.
The team is partnering with Regence BlueShield, running special clinics in Renton this summer for young athletes. KIRO 7’s Ranji Sinha got an inside look for his latest report for Healthier Together.
Ashley Fosberg is Executive Director of the Rave Foundation, the charitable arm of Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC. It was founded in 2013 as a 501c-3 public charity, according to their website.
It began by serving the greater Puget Sound region and has since expanded to serve communities across the state.
Fosberg says the summer clinics are one of the most critical parts of the foundation’s mission.
“As kids head back to school, we hope that they take with them some of the things they learned today.”
She says that in this clinic, physical health is the easiest part.
“We’re doing stretching, we’re doing warmups, we’re talking about heart rate, we’re talking about speed and agility, so all of those things contribute to physical, and it’s all under the auspices of soccer.”
Physical health is just one of the four pillars of the clinic. They also focus on mental health, learning resilience, and learning to build a team.
Since 2020, the CDC has reported increases in mental health concerns for kids and teens. Clinics like the one run by the Rave Foundation are trying to fight those trends with soccer as a guide.
Another benefit of the camps? Taking a moment to step away from technology.
“It’s pretty wonderful today, no child is holding a phone or a tablet, they’re all actively using their body,” Fosberg says.
In July, the young athletes got the opportunity to hear from Sounders’ midfielder Paul Arriola.
“Being able to learn to communicate at a young age, build relationships, understand what it means to be a friend and a teammate… playing sports throughout my life has created the best friends that I’ve had forever,” he shared.
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