Last Saturday, the Seattle Sounders traded kicks with the L.A. Galaxy, sending the soccer ball into the visiting team’s net twice for the win.
Issaquah Middle School Principal Seth Adams likewise enjoyed a win on CenturyLink field but there were no kicks involved in his victory — and he’s likely thankful for that, considering he was trapped in a giant hamster ball.
Adams was the winner of “Principals on the Pitch,” a footrace against Tyee High School principal Rick Harwood that required the two to navigate their spherical prisons through an obstacle course of zig-zagging “road signs” that weaved from midfield to the 18 yard line. Students and staff cheered on both administrators from the sidelines.
“As far as experiences go, this was one of the best ones of my life,” Adams said. “I’m a huge Sounders fan, first off, so it was awesome to be out on the pitch. Then to have my family and staff and students down there with me, cheering me on was amazing.”
Adams went home with $2,000 for Issaquah Middle School; Harwood took home $1,000 for Tyee. Both schools will be visited by a player for Sounders FC in the near future.
The halftime competition was sponsored by PEMCO Insurance and put together by the Sounders FC and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. WIAA took nominations from staff of its member schools to determine who would make it onto CenturyLink Field.
Several of Rick’s nominators indicated he was the best principal they have worked for “as a result of his deep commitment to relationship building and social justice,” according to a WIAA news release.
“I’m honored,” Adams said. “I felt like I had an opportunity to represent the entire Issaquah Middle learning community. I believe we’re very, very strong in having an open doors community. While I’m limited in terms of my own potential, that potential is unlimited in what we can all accomplish together.”
Adams and other school leaders have not determined how the prize money will be reinvested in the school or who should make that decision — they may bring students in on the decision making process, Adams said. Early ideas include hiring a guest speaker for students or reinvesting in ASB programs.
