A League Of Their Own Spokane’s Sande Opens Doors For Soccer Players
The game of soccer has been compared to a chess match played at high speeds.
Two teams battle for position in a contest that combines athletic grace with thoughtful strategy. For many, the artistry involved is the most captivating aspect of the sport.
For Spokane’s Chris Sande, soccer has always been more than a bunch of guys kicking around a checkered ball.
“It’s a sport that doesn’t really require any extraordinary attributes,” he explained. “You don’t have to weigh 250 pounds, you don’t have to be 6-foot-5. I believe (one’s) success is based on 80 or 90 percent mental ability.”
It is the mental aspect of soccer that intrigues Sande. For the past 20 years he has spent time on the soccer field satisfying that fascination. Now he’s truly getting his fill.
The boys soccer coach at Rogers High School, Sande helped establish the Pacific Northwest Soccer League this past year with the help of his friend, Don Penna.
The PNSL is a league for adult males 18 and older. The league encompasses teams from Washington, Idaho and Montana, and Sande hopes to someday include players from as far away as Central Washington, Canada and Oregon.
“There wasn’t a men’s competitive soccer league in Spokane for about five years,” Sande said. “Within two or three weeks we got around 10 teams together and started our own league. Right now we play spring, summer and fall (seasons) and we’re up to about 16 teams.”
Sande said the league has filled an important niche by providing a place for the area’s top talent to perform. He said most of the players on the Spokane Shadow semipro team played in this league last fall, and this past summer a number of area college players competed in the PNSL.
“We’ve had players from Spokane Community College, Gonzaga, Whitworth, WSU and North Idaho College,” Sande said. “And then there’s some older guys that play in the recreational (division). We try to cater to a wide variety of skill levels.”
Sande, 27, understands the importance of having a place to play. He was an All-Greater Spokane League sweeper for University High School in 1985, and went on to play for the University of Washington in 1987 before a knee injury ended his collegiate career.
With his competitive playing days behind him, Sande started coaching some soccer classes at UW’s Husky Stadium. From that moment, he realized he wanted to become a fulltime coach.
After earning a teacher’s degree from Washington, Sande returned to Spokane and coached a youth soccer team for three years before returning to U-Hi as an assistant coach. Last year, Sande assumed the helm at Rogers.
“Even though the Rogers program hasn’t been that successful in the past, I was excited about having my own team and being able to coordinate and develop my own players,” Sande said. “We’re still having some problems because kids aren’t as exposed to soccer in that area of town, so we’re getting things started so they can play at an earlier age.”
As a result, the proceeds from the PNSL have gone to start a youth soccer program in the Rogers area. A 12-and-older boys team was started in Hillyard this year, and Sande says a girls team will begin playing next year.
“I just get a lot of satisfaction from watching these people and knowing I’m giving back to the sport that’s given a lot to me,” Sande said.
“I know that I want to be playing the game until I’m 50, at least. It (soccer) keeps you in shape. I’m not one who likes to run miles and stay in shape - I’d rather be chasing a ball around and having a good time.”
The PNSL’s fall season begins Sept. 10. Those interested in joining can pick up an application at Just-A-Kick, which has stores in Franklin Park Mall and at E12623 Sprague in the Valley.