Sports in Seattle facts for kids

Seattle has a rich sports history that began over 100 years ago! In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans ice hockey team made history by becoming the first American team to win the Stanley Cup. Today, Seattle is home to many exciting professional sports teams. These include the Seattle Seahawks (football), Seattle Mariners (baseball), Seattle Sounders FC (soccer), Seattle Storm (basketball), OL Reign (women's soccer), Seattle Seawolves (rugby), Seattle Dragons (football), and the future Seattle Kraken (ice hockey). Seattle also has strong college sports programs with teams from the University of Washington, Seattle University, and Seattle Pacific University.

Major Professional Teams in Seattle

Seattle is a big city, and it has many major professional sports teams. Let's learn about some of them!

Seattle Seahawks: Football Fun

The Seattle Seahawks football team joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1976. They used to play at the Kingdome, which was taken down in 2000. Now, the Seahawks play their home games at Lumen Field, where fans cheer them on loudly!

Seattle Sounders FC: Kicking Goals

Soccer has a long history in Seattle with the Seattle Sounders FC. An earlier team called the Seattle Sounders played in the NASL league back in the 1970s. The name came back for a second team from 1994 to 2008. In 2007, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced Seattle would get a new team starting in 2009. Fans voted on the name, and Seattle Sounders FC was chosen! This team also plays at Lumen Field.

Seattle Mariners: On the Baseball Diamond

In 1977, Seattle got a new baseball team, the Seattle Mariners. This happened after a team called the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee. The Mariners played at the Kingdome until 1999. Then, they moved to their current home, T-Mobile Park, which is right across the street.

Seattle Storm: Slam Dunks and Hoops

The Seattle Storm women's basketball team arrived in Seattle in 2000. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). They used to play at KeyArena. While that arena was being updated, the Storm played at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett and Alaska Airlines Arena at the University of Washington.

OL Reign: Women's Soccer Stars

Seattle's professional women's soccer team, OL Reign, started in 2013 as Seattle Reign FC. Many players on the team have also played for the U.S. women's national team! They played at Starfire Sports Complex and Memorial Stadium. In 2019, they moved to Tacoma and changed their name to Reign FC. Later, a French soccer club bought a big part of the team, and they became OL Reign. They now play at Cheney Stadium.

Seattle Kraken: On the Ice

Seattle was awarded a new National Hockey League (NHL) team in 2017. This was exciting because Seattle had been considered for an NHL team before, but it didn't happen. The new team, named the Seattle Kraken, is set to start playing in October 2021. They will play at the newly updated Climate Pledge Arena.

Current Major Professional Teams

Championships: Winning Big!

Seattle teams have won a total of 18 national championships! This includes the Stanley Cup, an NBA Championship, a Super Bowl, four WNBA championships, four U.S. Open Cups, an MLS Supporters' Shield, two MLS Cups, two NWSL Shields, and two MLR Championship Shields.

Hockey History Makers

Seattle's first big win came from the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917. They beat the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup. They were the first American team to ever do this! They played in the finals two more times.

Basketball Glory

The Seattle SuperSonics (often called the "Sonics") won the NBA Championship in 1979. They beat the Washington Bullets in a great series. The Seattle Storm have won four WNBA championships! They won in 2004, 2010, 2018, and 2020.

Mariners' Pennants

The Seattle Mariners have won their division, the American League West Pennant, three times. This happened in 1995, 1997, and 2001. In 2001, they had an amazing season with 116 wins! However, they have not yet won the World Series.

Sounders FC Soccer Success

Seattle Sounders FC has won the U.S. Open Cup four times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014). They were the first MLS team to win it two years in a row! In 2014, they also won their first MLS Supporters' Shield. The Sounders won their first MLS Cup in 2016 and a second one in 2019.

OL Reign's Shields

In 2014, OL Reign (then Seattle Reign FC) won their first NWSL Shield. This award goes to the team with the most points in the regular season. They won it again in 2015, becoming the first team in the league to win it twice!

Seahawks' Super Bowl Win

The Seattle Seahawks have won nine NFL division titles. They won the NFC championship in 2006, making it to their first Super Bowl. In 2014, the Seahawks won their first Lombardi trophy by beating the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. The next year, they made it to the Super Bowl again but lost a close game to the New England Patriots.

Seawolves Rugby Reigns

The Seattle Seawolves are a founding team of Major League Rugby. They won the first-ever MLR Championship Shield in 2018. They won it again in 2019, making them back-to-back champions!

Other Sports Teams in Seattle

Besides the major professional teams, Seattle has many other sports teams.

Seattle Thunderbirds: Junior Hockey

The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team. They play at the ShoWare Center. The Thunderbirds joined Seattle in 1977 and changed their name in 1985. They play in the Western Hockey League, which helps players get ready for the NHL. The Thunderbirds won their first WHL championship in 2017.

Current Other Teams

Other Team Championships

The Seattle Sounders (USL) won championships in 1995, 1996, 2005, and 2007. The Seattle SeaDogs won the Continental Indoor Soccer League championship in 1997. The Washington Stealth won the National Lacrosse League Champion's Cup in 2010. The Seattle Sockeye (Ultimate Frisbee) won USA Ultimate Club Championships in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2019. They also won a gold medal at the World Ultimate Club Championships in 1997. The Seattle Grizzlies (Australian Football) won USAFL Division 3 in 2017 and Division 2 in 2008.

College and High School Sports

Seattle also has strong college and high school sports teams.

College Sports: University Teams

The University of Washington, Seattle University, and Seattle Pacific University all have sports teams. Their teams are called the Huskies, Redhawks, and Falcons. The Husky football team is very popular in the city. In 1991, the Huskies shared a national college football championship. In 2005, the Huskies volleyball team won a national title.

A Huskies rowing team even represented the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany! They won the gold medal, and their story was told in the book The Boys in the Boat.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs from Spokane also play one men's basketball game in Seattle each season. This event is called the "Battle in Seattle."

Major D1 NCAA College Sports Teams

High School and Youth Sports: Growing Games

Sports like rugby are becoming more popular in Seattle at the high school level. Several schools, such as Shorecrest, Roosevelt, and Nathan Hale High School, have started rugby programs.

Former Teams in Seattle

Seattle has also been home to some teams that are no longer here.

Former Major Professional Teams

The Seattle Metropolitans hockey team played from 1915 to 1924. The Seattle SuperSonics basketball team played in Seattle from 1967 to 2008. The Seattle Pilots baseball team only played one year in Seattle in 1969 before moving.

Other Former Teams

Other Sports and Events

Seattle has also hosted many important sports events. Swimmer Helene Madison from Seattle won three gold medals at the 1932 Olympic Games. The Seattle Dojo, founded before 1907, is the oldest judo school in the United States.

Seattle has hosted the NFL Pro Bowl (1977), MLB All-Star Game (1979, 2001), NBA All-Star Game (1974, 1987), and MLS Cup (2009, 2019). The city also hosted the Goodwill Games in 1990 and the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament three times (1984, 1989, 1995). In 2017, the Seattle Storm hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time.

The Seattle Marathon has been held every year since 1970. Seattle has also hosted many soccer games for the U.S. men's and women's national teams. Lumen Field has hosted CONCACAF Gold Cup matches and is being considered as a venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Images for kids

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  Seattle Sounders FC players celebrating the third goal in a 4–1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Lumen Field