Healthier Together: Build Your Shield clinics

The Seattle Sounders FC are in the thick of the MLS Season. This year the team is celebrating 15 years in the league and 50 years of actual existence, since the team’s original founding in 1974.

It’s clear the team is part of the community, but this summer the team also helped give back by holding special clinics for young people.

KIRO 7′s Ranji Sinha examined the Build Your Shield clinics, which addressed physical and mental health.

Ashley Fosberg is the Sounders FC and Reign FC Vice President of Philanthropy & Executive Director of RAVE Foundation, she says the goal of the clinics is rather simple.

“Come together with the common goal to help our kids be healthier in body and mind,” Fosberg said.

The Build Your Shield clinics this summer helped kids learn to take care of their own wellness while playing soccer -- a lesson that will serve them on and off the pitch, as they head into a new school year.

“Team sports are really important for kids of all ages and today we have a special part of our curriculum just on teamwork building, that group of people around you that’s on your team,” Fosberg said.

As children take on mental health challenges, the clinic gives them a base of support.

The clinic asked kids to name who is on their team? Who are their go-to’s for support? Who teams up to care for them? Being able to recognize that is one key to better mental health.

“It really shows them that they are cared for and that they do have people in times of trouble that they can lean on,” Fosberg said.

In a partnership with Regence BlueShield, Sounders FC is now part of a multi-year partnership to improve the health of young people in some underserved communities and increase access to health and wellness.

Along with the Rave Foundation, which works to build fields for free play across Washington, the goal of these clinics is to empower kids to take charge and focus on their own health.

The first clinic happened in May, and up to 100 young people took part.

“It’s not just about you. And so you come to a team setting and you have to make it about the team. Kids these days are suffering from a lot of things and you never know what a kid comes to a clinic with or comes to school with. So if we can be a small part of helping them release those feelings and just feel a little joy in the day that’s great,” Fosberg said.

The clinics have run their course as the summer winds down, but they will most likely be back next year.

Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Executive Medical Director for Regence BlueShield, says there are areas across our region where young people have been underserved. She expressed appreciation that Regence BlueShield can partner to go into a variety of other communities, that may not always garner attention.

“I really love that we’re doing something a little bit different in terms of kind of honing in on a different community and bringing this resource,” she said.

Fosberg also says the hope is that they can expand to include more children and do more work on helping them learn about themselves.

“Soccer is the hook to help kids learn and to being able to care for their own physical and mental health,” Fosberg said.

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