County Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Sean Henderson

Sean Henderson

Inducted as: Athlete

High school: Cascade class of 1990

Sport: Soccer

Henderson excelled on the soccer pitch at the high school, college and professional levels.

In high school Henderson, a midfielder, was part of the Cascade boys soccer dynasty, helping the Bruins win state championships as a freshman in 1987 and junior in 1989, then finishing as state runners-up as a sophomore in 1988 and senior in 1990. He was named a Parade All-American in both his junior and senior seasons, and he represented the U.S. at both the under-16 and under-18 levels, serving as the under-18 team’s captain.

Henderson played collegiately at UCLA, with whom he won an NCAA men’s national championship in 1990. In 1993 as a senior he was named team captain, the team’s Offensive Most Valuable Player, and selected as an All-American. While at UCLA he made five appearances with the U.S. under-20 men’s national team.

After college Henderson played professionally for 11 years, including two seasons with TuS Celle in Germany from 1994-96 and three seasons with MLS’s Colorado Rapids from 1996-98. He appeared in 55 games and scored four goals during his time with the Rapids, and in 1996 he was named the team’s Rookie of the Year. In 1999 he joined the USL’s Seattle Sounders, with whom he remained until he retired in 2005.

Henderson’s older brother Chris is also a member of the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in soccer. The two were MLS teammates with the Rapids.

Henderson currently works for the MLS version of Seattle Sounders FC, serving as the franchise’s director of scouting.

This is the fourth of nine profiles on the 2020 Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame induction class. This year’s banquet was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the inductees will be officially honored at the 2021 banquet.