Summers with Seattle Sounders FC 2 bring plenty of excitement for supporters, especially at home matches. From the dippin’ dots to the music to the matches under the lights at Starfire Stadium, it’s a time for fans to watch and support the future of the club.
Summers also present an opportunity for the S2 coaching staff to evaluate prospects for the future.
At the end of the school year, many Sounders Academy alums return home to the Pacific Northwest to spend time with family. But for some, the summer presents an opportunity to build fitness for their upcoming college seasons by training with S2. These training sessions are beneficial to the staff as well, as it gives them a chance to assess the development of potential future S2 signings.
“We always bring college kids in, whether it’s guys who we’re thinking about for the draft or guys from our Academy,” said Sounders FC Director of Player Personnel Kurt Schmid. “Whatever time frame works for them, we want to bring them in for some period of time to gauge their progress, see where they’re at and how they’ve developed.”
A number of Sounders Academy alums have attended these training sessions, donning the Rave Green for the first time since they graduated from the Sounders’ youth system.
Denver University defenders Tosh Samkange and Tobi Jnohope joined the likes of Clemson University’s Harrison Kurtz in training this week. University of Washington Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Handwalla Bwana has been training with the squad since the summer sessions started. Rounding out the group are a pair of Akron University standouts in goalkeeper Tor Saunders and left back turned attacking midfielder Nick Hinds.
Hinds, in particular, is relishing the opportunity to link up with S2 again after his breakout freshman campaign for the Zips, in which he scored five goals and added four assists.
“It feels good being back with some of the guys I used to play with,” said Hinds. “The level here is high so I can continue to play and progress my play and myself, so when I go back to Akron I still have that momentum and can possibly come back to Seattle in December.”
For S2 head coach Ezra Hendrickson, these integrated training sessions enable him to observe the development of guys like Hinds and allow Hendrickson to plan for the future.
“It gives us a way to look at guys who’ve come through our Academy and see how they’re progressing in college,” said Hendrickson. “I think they’ve been doing well in training — guys like Nick Hinds, Harrison Kurtz and Handwalla Bwana — and once the summer comes around we’ll have more players here.
“But it’s good to keep an eye on them and see how they’re progressing,” Hendrickson continued. “And they get to see how we do things here at S2, so maybe in the future, these will be the guys coming into the fold.”
The possibility of impressing the coaching staff isn’t lost on Hinds. He knows these training stints offer a chance to showcase his development in his time with Akron, and that if he plays well, he can make his case for a future contract.
“Obviously every player out here with S2 wants to be on the first team, so that’s my hope, that’s my goal,” said Hinds. “I’m coming out here every day to try and prove that and to push myself to become a first team player.
