COUNTDOWN: Three days until season-opening soccer match for West Seattle Junction FC

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

A victory for West Seattle Junction FC days before the new soccer team takes the field at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). You might recall the club owners had some challenges with the stadium’s owner, Seattle Public Schools, not giving permission for some things Junction FC considers critical to success – like scoreboard use. They’ve now secured permission for that – paying an SPS employee to operate it – so the scoreboard will be in operation when Junction FC plays Capital at 2 pm Sunday (May 19). Tickets are still available – go here to get yours. Also, the club says, “We’re lining up street-side food vendors and pop-ups. Interested vendors can contact info@wsjunctionfc.club” If you can’t make it to opening day, the next two home matches after that are Friday, May 24, 7 pm vs. Lane United, and Sunday, May 26, 2 pm vs. United PDX. Same link for tickets. Junction FC players and coaches also have the team’s first two youth-soccer clinics on the schedule, June 21 and 22 at local fields – go here for info and registration.

ADDED FRIDAY: Junction FC supporters are planning a March to the Match after a pre-game gathering at The Westy (7908 35th SW) – gathering at 11:30 am, march at 1 pm.

Lina May 17, 2024 (8:38 am)

Yay! Our family is psyched! Can’t wait to cheer on JFC!

KB1000 May 17, 2024 (9:30 am)

Do the high schools get a cut of any of this action? I don’t see how a private business can take over my public high school track and field that I pay taxes on for their private for-profit use.

WSB May 17, 2024 (10:01 am)

Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex isn’t a high-school field. It is owned by Seattle Public Schools but used by a variety of organizations, not all associated with the district. Same goes for Memorial Stadium, owned by SPS and among other things is home field to another team in the league that this one is a member of, Ballard:
https://www.goballardfc.com/match-day/

Re: a “cut” of the action, this organization is paying SPS to use the facility.
Curtis May 17, 2024 (10:38 am)

I believe it has been reported that SPS gets a facility use rental fee + a cut of the action (10%). For a school district with terrible money issues right now, I would think any tax paying citizen would see the value in managing these publicly owned facilities in an efficient manner. Not to mention the opportunities this opens up to local kids playing soccer. At least one of the starters on the team is a graduate of Chief Sealth and there are current WSHS kids on the roster too. This is a huge opportunity for all the soccer community in West Seattle.
Amy May 18, 2024 (4:32 pm)

You mean the communities track and field.