Support Seattle’s Middle School Athletes — Help Level the Playing Field
These programs are jointly funded by SPS and the Families and Education Levy through the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL). While the levy covers coaching stipends and transportation, all other costs — including uniforms and equipment — must be covered by the schools themselves
Memories
Seattle Public Schools Athletics brings our community together. Each season showcases the hard work and determination of our athletes as they support one another. The involvement of parents and local businesses enhances the experiences of our students, making sure every athlete feels included. We value the connections made through teamwork, creating memories and a strong foundation for the young athletes in Seattle.
We asked our founding Board Members to share memories from their days participating in Seattle Public Schools Athletics. We’d love to share your memories too! Email to [email protected]
Phil Brockman, Ballard High School ’76
The memories I have are not just my high school years as a student, but my experiences based on my career as a student, teacher, coach and school administrator. Likewise, I was not the best athlete during my time at Ballard High School, but I was a member of Metro championship teams in Wrestling and Cross Country. Likewise, I was not the best coach during my tenure at Rainier Beach High School, but I did support student athletes to create memories as members of athletic teams with many of them competing at the highest levels in the Metro League as well as at the regional and state level. Likewise, I was not the best school administrator in SPS, but I was a strong supporter of athletics because our student athletes deserved to have the opportunities I had when I was a student. For me personally, my high school teachers and coaches like Ken Habeck and Ron Ottele were role models that gave me the incentive and desire to be a student athlete. It was making friends for life. It was witnessing student athletes become great citizens of our community. The common theme in all my experiences was the lack of money for essential things like equipment, uniforms, and transportation. My hope is that we can bridge that gap so that our students will have great positive experiences in the classroom, in school activities, or on the field of competition.
Ted Howard, Garfield High School ’85
One of my most formative athletics memories at Garfield centers on Coach Frank Ahern, who believed academics and athletics were inseparable. He used to tell us, “If you can play a sport, you can get an A in a class,” not as pressure, but as belief. Athletics taught me discipline and resilience, but Coach Ahern taught me confidence, the conviction that preparation and effort transfer everywhere. Later, as a principal, I observed that same belief brought to life by alumni like Brandon Roy ’02 and Joyce Walker ’80, who showed students that goals that can feel out of reach are achievable. By sharing how they navigated challenges, made it to college, and went on to the NBA and the Harlem Globetrotters, they helped students see themselves differently. Between packed gyms, tough rivalries, and long bus rides, athletics became a place of belonging and high expectation, lessons that continue to shape how I think about student potential and the power of adults believing in young people before they fully believe in themselves.