First Day in our New Home

By Seattle Sounders FC

February 14^th, 2024

The Seattle Sounders’ reached new heights on Tuesday after unveiling the team’s new state-of-the-art training facility located in Renton.

“It's super motivating,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.

Starfire Sports served as the Sounders’ training grounds for many years, but the team’s new space provides the players with amenities that will help elevate their performance on the pitch.

“I'm excited to be grinding here because when you have to go through tough times and be in a gym and put in the extra work, then I think the value of the facility will come through even more,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei. “We were quite confined at Starfire and I think we outgrew that place.”

The players have everything at their fingertips at the new training grounds. With access to cold and hot tubs, cryotherapy and a sauna, the recovery options are endless.

“We've now created an environment where you want people to stay longer to recover, to do the little things to prevent an injury or to make that last ditch tackle in the 90th minute,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan. “Those things are just going to help us going forward into the season.”

The facility is large enough to also provide a player’s lounge, a weight room, a modernized locker room, and an accommodating space for Academy and Defiance players, ensuring a place of growth for all teams within the Sounders organization.

“The longer guys want to stay here and bond, the more we're going to be willing to go through the wringer together,” said Frei.

The Rave Green continue to be amongst the top teams in MLS year after year, and now, they have one of the best training facilities in the league to push the envelope even further in terms of their performance this upcoming season and beyond.

“Adrian [Hanauer] and the rest of the ownership group have created the standards with this facility,” said Roldan. “And now, it's our responsibility to continue with those standards and put in those extra inches and that extra bit of sweat into our workouts or our recovery.”

While the Starfire complex is recognized as a huge part of the history that makes up the Seattle club, it is time for the Sounders to embark on a new chapter, in a new home.

And the players could not be happier about it.

“I'm thrilled,” said Roldan. “It's such a work of art.”

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