Sigi Schmid wasn’t going to let a broken left fibula bring him down.
Supported by crutches and wearing a walking boot, the Seattle Sounders FC head coach persevered and hobbled onto the podium on Wednesday morning to give an inspirational speech at the Lake Washington Schools Foundation’s fundraising breakfast at the Redmond Marriott Town Center.
Much like he did physically at the event, Schmid spoke of fighting through adversity to score success. He stressed that teamwork gets things done, whether it’s on the soccer pitch, in the classroom or in life.
Schmid — who sustained his injury in an accident at home — first touched upon the Sounders and tied their season together with life lessons.
“We certainly appreciate your support and your loyalty. We’re testing your loyalty a little bit this year. It hasn’t been the best of starts for us,” Schmid told the crowd, many of whom cheered when he asked if they are Sounders fans. “You learn a lot from taking lumps, as well. Failure teaches you as much as success does. We have to learn and we have to move forward from our failures.”
Schmid has an ultra-lengthy list of coaching accolades to his name, which include being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, winning two MLS cups and five U.S. Open cups, notching two MLS Coach of the Year awards and currently standing atop the MLS wins list with 220-plus victories.
Schmid’s dad gave him perhaps the best pep talk he’s ever received early in his life that eventually made an impact in the soccer realm.
He said, “I don’t care what line of work you go into, you just gotta make sure if they’re only hiring 10 people, that you’re one of the 10 best. When I came into MLS, there were 12 teams, so it was important for me to be one of the 12 best and get out there and coach.”
Hard work and discipline were the top keys to success in the Schmid household. Other people who helped give Schmid a shot of confidence and knowledge were teachers, coaches and friends. A school buddy who later became a teacher and a coach was a major factor in Schmid’s upbringing: “His love and his ability to resonate within young people and get them motivated is something that I’ll never forget,” he said.
The foundation raised approximately $255,000 combined at the breakfast and at last week’s luncheon, which featured guest speaker and former Seattle Seahawk Walter Jones. The footballer spoke about the value of his education growing up.
Also at the “Spring for Learning” breakfast, Lake Washington High School student Jake Hanna presented a video he directed that featured students discussing their dreams and goals.
The crowd was later taken on a virtual field trip via a Skype session with Evergreen Middle School teacher Andrea Pomerinke and her class. Students discussed their experiences with the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program, which is designed to better prepare students for college.
Students — some of whom said they aspire to be a surgeon, engineer, marine biologist and teacher — noted that AVID has them looking forward to going to school and builds confidence to help them achieve their dreams.
