SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC’s charitable partner, RAVE Foundation, today announced that the University of Washington, one of the nation’s preeminent public universities, has joined the organization as presenting sponsor of RAVE Foundation Soccer Camps. Through its camp program, RAVE offers free, high-quality soccer training utilizing qualified coaches and mentors to model inclusivity, teamwork and positive reinforcement so all participants feel supported while learning new soccer skills and having fun. Camps and clinics are hosted on both RAVE Fields and schools, parks and community centers in underserved neighborhoods.
The new partnership also aligns with the University of Washington mission to develop effective leaders and leadership practices that maximize the positive, educational impact of athletics. In 2019, a study from University of Washington's Center for Leadership in Athletics, in partnership with King County Parks and The Aspen Institute, found that less than 19 percent of young people in the region receive the amount of physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The UW is excited to expand its partnership with the Seattle Sounders by supporting RAVE camps this year,” said Nicole Morry Dierks, UW’s interim Associate Vice President for Brand Marketing Strategy. “We are proud to do our part in helping make this positive impact on the community, empowering kids to participate in soccer and helping strengthen communities in our region. Through this commitment, we hope to connect with young people and illustrate the possibility of higher education.”
Today’s partnership announcement reinforces RAVE’s commitment to use soccer as a vehicle to support whole, healthy children of all ages, from preschool to high school, and serve youth in marginalized or under-resourced communities through its year-round programs, incorporating not only soccer skills but also leadership and mental and physical movement skills.
“We are thrilled to have University of Washington as our new RAVE Camps presenting partner. RAVE Camps are high-quality, free soccer training experiences serving youth in marginalized communities,” said Sounders FC Vice President of Philanthropy & Executive Director of RAVE Foundation Ashley Fosberg. “These week-long experiences not only help develop soccer skills, but they encourage teamwork, leadership and learning new things. We are proud to have UW alongside us as partners in education in serving our region’s youth. As we strive to deeply serve the communities in which RAVE Fields are placed, it is more important than ever to have mission-aligned partners. Many RAVE programs use soccer as the vehicle for deeper learning like STEM, physical literacy, and art to name a few. For this reason, I can’t think of a better partner for RAVE Camps than the University of Washington.”
RAVE Camps are free and open to everyone, providing registration to those within each camp’s local community. Participants who live in a low-income housing community or are part of summer meal programs are also recruited by RAVE’s local community networks to participate in RAVE Camps. Camp participants can expect a series of week-long coaching experiences hosted by longtime RAVE partner Cultures United FC at multiple locations throughout the Seattle area.
This year, different locations and dates are set to welcome those who would like to participate in the program and a more detailed schedule can be found below.
- Chelsea Park (Burien): August 8-12, 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. PT
- Delridge South (West Seattle): August 8-12, 1:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. PT
- Genesee Park and Playfield (Seattle): August 15-19, 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. PT
- Valley Ridge Field (SeaTac): August 22-26, 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. PT
- Field House (Des Moines): August 22-26, 2:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. PT
Those interested in participating in a RAVE program can email RAVE@SoundersFC.com to receive additional information or visit RAVEFoundation.org/Programs.
ABOUT RAVE FOUNDATION
RAVE Foundation, the official charitable partner of Sounders FC, was founded in 2013 to serve the greater Puget Sound community. RAVE Foundation’s mission is to build small fields for free play and invest in programs that use soccer as a vehicle to inspire youth and strengthen communities. By building small fields, RAVE Foundation helps remove barriers to participation, providing a place for kids to play freely, be physically active and safe, and to be inclusive stakeholders in their communities.
RAVE Foundation opened its flagship small field at Yesler Terrace Park in the heart of Seattle in 2018, kicking off the foundation’s “RAVE Fields” program, which is dedicated to opening both mini-pitch futsal courts and small soccer fields throughout the region. Field locations are chosen in an effort to support underserved communities and to provide locations for free play, as the fields may not be rented by groups or teams and must remain open to the community at all times. Recently, RAVE Foundation has invested mini pitches at the old Roxhill Elementary in Seattle, Valley Ridge Park in SeaTac, and Beverly Park Elementary in Burien, with more in the works.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
The University of Washington is a public research university in Seattle, Washington and one of the world’s preeminent public universities. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast with its main campus located in the city's University District, as well as campuses in Tacoma and Bothell. Ranked No. 7 in the world on the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings, the UW educates more than 54,000 students annually, turning ideas into impact and transforming lives and our world. Overall, UW encompasses over 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including one of the largest library systems in the world with more than 26 university libraries, art centers, museums, laboratories, lecture halls, and stadiums. The university offers degrees through 140 departments, and functions on a quarter system. For more, visit www.uw.edu.
