Ben Huynh, a senior at Cascade High School, dribbles with the ball as a member of the Seattle Sounders Academy at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. (Sounders Academy photo).

Ben Huynh, a senior at Cascade High School, dribbles with the ball as a member of the Seattle Sounders Academy at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. (Sounders Academy photo).

Local soccer players sacrifice to play with Sounders Academy

The talented youngsters say playing with the Academy has made them better people as well as players.

Every Monday through Thursday Cameron Martin, Ben Huynh and Connor Drought gather after school at the Starbucks on 164th Street in north Lynnwood. Martin, a senior at Jackson High School, Huynh, a senior at Cascade, and Drought, a junior at Kamiak, meet up with Augustus Diehl, who arrives from Bellingham, and together the four of them carpool through rush-hour traffic all the way south to Tukwila, where they take part in a two-hour soccer practice before making the long drive back home again.

It makes for a grueling daily schedule, but it’s a hardship they’re more than happy to endure to be involved in the best youth soccer available in the region.

Martin, Huynh and Drought are among the Snohomish County residents who are members of the Seattle Sounders FC Academy, which caters to the best boys soccer players from the Puget Sound Region and beyond. Being a part of the Sounders Academy has not only elevated their abilities as players, it’s also opened up their opportunities beyond youth soccer.

“It’s been fantastic,” Huynh said about being a part of the Sounders Academy. “Over the course of the years I’ve developed as a player and a person tremendously. With all these great coaches and great players around me who want to be at the top level, it’s helped me progress as a player tremendously.”

Martin, a central midfielder, and Huynh, a right back, are members of the Sounders Academy’s under-19 teams, while Drought, a left back, is part of the under-17 team.

Other Snohomish County residents who are involved in the program include Edmonds-Woodway freshman Sota Kitahara, a central midfielder and Angel Martinez, a central defender and a seventh-grader at the Mukilteo School District’s Explorer Middle School, who are members of the under-15 team.

The Sounders Academy has been run by the Seattle Sounders MLS team since 2010, fielding its U-19, U-17 and U-15 teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy League, where they face top competition from throughout the country.

“The mission is clear from a playing perspective, and that’s to get players to our first team,” Sounders Academy technical director Marc Nicholls said. “There’s also a major sense of responsibility to the community to develop the whole player, not just as a player but as a person.”

Conner Drought, a junior at Kamiak High School, sets to take a free kick during a match with the Seattle Sounders Academy at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. (Sounders Academy photo)

Conner Drought, a junior at Kamiak High School, sets to take a free kick during a match with the Seattle Sounders Academy at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. (Sounders Academy photo)

Players who come through the Sounders Academy are classified as homegrown players for the MLS Sounders, meaning the MLS club has the first right to sign those players. So far there have been eight Sounders Academy graduates who have gone on to play for the MLS Sounders: DeAndre Yedlin, Darwin Jones, Sean Okoli, Aaron Kovar, Jordan Morris, Henry Wingo, Seyi Adekoya and Victor Mansaray, with Handwalla Bwana set to make it nine after being signed this offseason.

Joining that list is the goal of every member of the Sounders Academy.

“It’s everyone’s goal to get a first-team contract,” Kitahara said. “It’s great because you’re going through a program that leads to the first team. It’s not easy, but it’s a good way to go into the first team and a great way to get the coaches to see you play.”

Getting into the program isn’t easy. Players don’t try out for the Sounders Academy in the traditional sense. The Sounders have scouts who monitor teams not only in the region, but throughout Washington State and across the country — Nicholls estimated that 80 percent of the players in the Sounders Academy are from the Puget Sound region. When the scouts identify players, often around the age of 12, they are invited to the Sounders Academy’s twice-a-week program. From there players are evaluated to determine whether they are accepted into the program full-time. There are no fees for the families of full-time players.

Sota Kitahara, a freshman at Edmonds-Woodway High School, dribbles with the ball during a match with the Seattle Sounders Academy at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. (Sounders Academy photo)

Sota Kitahara, a freshman at Edmonds-Woodway High School, dribbles with the ball during a match with the Seattle Sounders Academy at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. (Sounders Academy photo)

Being a member of the Sounders Academy is an intense experience. Not only do the teams practice four days a week year-round, they have games most weekends, which can involve plane travel. That means there’s no time for playing for high school teams. It’s also a highly-competitive environment in which a player has to perform and continue progressing or risk being cut.

“Every day is another day of hard work, you can’t take a practice off,” Drought said. “Everything’s really competitive. Also, it’s a lot of time. It takes away from your social life and schoolwork to be a part of the Academy, and driving all that way takes a lot of time every day. But I’ve gotten used to it, it’s really not that bad.”

And the payoff can be extraordinary. Being a part of the Sounders Academy provides greater exposure to college coaches, with Martin having signed to play for the University of San Francisco next season and Huynh committed to play for the United States Naval Academy. Huynh spent six months of this sophomore year in Florida training with the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program. Martin, Drought and Martinez have all traveled abroad with the Sounders Academy, playing in international tournaments in Europe. And Martin was given the opportunity to train regularly with the MLS Sounders last summer.

“It’s awesome,” Martin said about training with the MLS players. “I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities here that I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere, like training with the first team. Being exposed to that type of stuff is really good for me as a player. And in those situations it’s humbling to see that I’m not at that level — but I can get there.”

And getting to that level is what being a member of the Sounders Academy is all about.

If you have an idea for a community sports story, e-mail Nick Patterson at npatterson@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

X
Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for March 8-17

The Athlete of the Week nominees for March 8-17. Voting closes at… Continue reading

X
Silvertips’ playoff picture coming together as season hits final week

Everett is officially the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and is likely heading into a matchup with Kelowna or Vancouver.

X
Prep roundup for Monday, March 18

Prep roundup for Monday, March 18: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report results… Continue reading

Los Angeles Rams offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum (72) against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Seahawks add to position of need, sign guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr.

The 25-year-old has played in 31 games, starting once, since being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020.

Everett Community College head coach Chet Hovde watches as the women's team practices on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 in Everett, Wa. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
EvCC coach Chet Hovde, who ‘lived for’ basketball, dies at 77

Coach Hovde graduated from Everett High School in 1965. He spent 33 years as the women’s basketball coach at the community college.

Jackson’s Ian Friedrichsen celebrates his goal with his teammates during the game against Bothell on Thursday, May 11, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep boys soccer: 5 things to watch for the 2024 season in Snohomish County

A look at the top local storylines for this high school boys soccer season

Jackson’s Rachel Sysum is hugged by Leneyah Mitchell after hitting a home run during the game against Bothell on Friday, May 19, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep softball: 5 things to watch for the 2024 season in Snohomish County

A look at the top local storylines to keep an eye on this high school softball season.

X
Prep roundup for Friday, March 15

Prep roundup for Friday, March 15: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report results… Continue reading

Glacier Peak’s Samantha Christensen runs to home plate to celebrate her home run with her teammates during the game against Snohomish on Friday, March 15, 2024 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
GALLERY: Glacier Peak softball tops rival Snohomish

The Grizzlies prevail 9-5 in a clash of area powers.

X
Prep roundup for Thursday, March 14

Prep roundup for Thursday, March 14: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report results… Continue reading

The Washington Wolfpack logo is revealed during the Everett AFL team unveiling at Tony V's Garage in Everett, Washington onThursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett’s new arena football team to have 4 televised games

The NFL Network will broadcast 30 AFL games this season, including two Wolfpack home games.

Washington coach Mike Hopkins yells to the team during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against California, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Seattle. California won 82-80. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Looking back at Mike Hopkins’ turbulent tenure as UW men’s basketball coach

The departing Huskies coach had highs early, but the good times didn’t last long.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.