SPOKANE, Wash. – For most youth soccer teams, reaching one national championship is a dream. This summer, Spokane’s WE SURF SC B09 NPL reached two, returning home with the National Premier Leagues Gold Division National Championship, the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award and an NPL Boys Best XI selection.
The championship capped off years of growth for a group that never lost sight of its goal.
“We didn’t used to be very good,” said Quinn Henneberg. “Over time, we developed as a team and as a unit. Our goal from the very start was to go to a national tournament and win it. At the end, to do that was pretty special.”
Players say the transformation came from a culture built around teamwork and daily competition.
“I would say our training habits,” said Cyrus Cone. “We switched coaches and completely changed how we practiced and how we worked as a team, focusing on team habits instead of individual.”
That mindset carried into every training session.
“Everyone being here and pushing the competitiveness and playing against each other brings everyone up in skill level,” said Chase Palmquist.
Michael Sears echoed that sentiment.
“Practice makes perfect,” Sears said. “We wouldn’t be here without these facilities and the coaches.”
For Gavin Beler, the bond between teammates was just as important as the work they put in.
“We’re like family,” Beler said. “We’ve just been together a long time.”
When WE SURF SC arrived at nationals in Denver, the approach didn’t change.
“We kind of have a saying that we’re just going to focus on ourselves,” said Emmett Nokes. “Instead of focusing on other teams and thinking they might be better than us, we just focus on ourselves and play our game. That’s what ultimately got us the win.”
Jack Lawson believes the team’s identity was built on effort.
“We never want to be outworked,” Lawson said. “We might not be the most talented or the fastest, but we’re going to outwork you.”
The accomplishment carried extra significance because of where the team comes from.
“We’re kind of always the underdog,” head coach Andrew Huffman said. “When you go play elsewhere, you realize clubs in places like Seattle are two and three times the size of us. So us going anywhere and being able to compete is really, really cool to see.”
Huffman hopes this championship becomes something bigger than a trophy.
“It gives them a little internal belief that if you have dreams, you can go wherever you want,” Huffman said. “That’s been a staple word for us since day one — believe.”
For team manager Amanda Hammond, the championship represented far more than wins and losses.
“From not winning many games to a national title, they’ve grown in so many ways,” Hammond said. “Those are things they’re going to use in life for sure.”
Along with winning the NPL Gold Division National Championship, WE SURF SC also earned the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award. Raymond Hendrickson was named to the NPL Boys Best XI All-Tournament Team, capping a historic summer for a Spokane team that proved it could compete with anyone in the country.
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