Spokane Shadow Returns as Part of 25th Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Created in 1999, Spokane Shadow is proud to be celebrating our 25th anniversary thanks to the breadth of success we have seen in the Spokane community through player development, growth, and fostering of a competitive culture both on and off the field over the course of multiple generations. In celebration of our club’s achievements, Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club is returning to its roots by reincorporating the Spokane Shadow name across the entire club!

“The Shadow are truly a part of the fabric of the soccer community in Spokane. We believe in our community and who we are. In turn we are and want to represent our community with our name, culture, and beliefs” said Technical Director Abbas Faridnia, who is a prime example of the multi-generational aspect of Shadow.

Spokane Shadow Board of Directors President Andrea Asan adds: “We are Spokane and we’re excited for our players to represent our community on local, state, and national levels under the Spokane Shadow banner. Years of hard work and dedication by our coaches, staff, volunteers, players, and families have helped our club plant deep roots into the Spokane community both on and off the field. We are so proud of our past and yet so excited for our amazing athletes and coaches to represent the Spokane community as Spokane Shadow moving forward.”

The long-storied life of our club is the result of the Spokane Shadow Way and our Four Pillars – Development, Competition, Enjoyment and Community. Spokane Shadow has always had a steadfast dedication to educating and developing players to understand a possession, problem-solving style of play in a fun but challenging atmosphere while also promoting teamwork and giving back to the community off the field. Our Four Pillar approach is designed to create a well-rounded individual on and off the pitch, so our players are prepared to face life challenges when their time with the club comes to an end.

This Spokane Shadow philosophy has led to unmatched success in the community and throughout our country through on-field results and the elevation of our alumni into higher levels of play. We are proud of our great rate of college athletic endeavors and successes as well as the continued emergence of professional players or US Youth Internationals such as Ray Serrano, Kelsey Turnbow, Kelcie Hedge, Marissa Mykines, Chloe Williams, and AJ Crooks, just to name a few. Many former Shadow players – be it through the youth club or its preceding men’s first team that launched in 1995 – have gone on to become coaches in the community or have children that are now part of the Shadow family. Faridnia, for example, was a U18 Developmental Player for the Shadow PDL team in the late 1990s, is now our Technical Director, and has a daughter who plays in the club. Also on staff are Jesse Retan and Cameron Bushey, both former Shadow youth players, and John Palladino who is a former PDL (currently USL Two) player like Faridnia. Our continued multi-generational success also comes from the longstanding service of many of our coaches including Kevin Moon and Ali McCready. The impact that each and every one of our past and current coaches have had over the years on our players is just another example of the impact that Spokane Shadow has on our local soccer community.

Our club is extremely proud to have been growing the game of soccer in the Inland Northwest through our First Teams, premiere, select, and development youth soccer programs under the Spokane Shadow banner for the past 25 years. Being part of the home we call the Lilac City is a great honor and we have and will continue to take pride in the nurturing of our young, growing talent by supporting them as they bloom into great players on the pitch and incredible individuals off the pitch right here in Spokane, Washington.

Sounders FC Affiliation Continues

Throughout this transition, Spokane Shadow will continue to partner with the Seattle Sounders for education and player promotion. Spokane Shadow was the first youth club to affiliate with the Seattle Sounders who are a leader in player development and have had much success in Major League Soccer. Through our club’s historic development of teams and players, the Seattle Sounders reaching out to us to become their first official youth club partner was a tremendous honor and the Spokane Sounders era is and remains an integral moment of our club’s history. This partnership has produced several success stories for our players that went on trials or advanced to the Sounders Academy including Ray Serrano, a young Moses Lake product that blossomed in our program and has gone on to an amazing professional career. Though we may be returning to our original name, rave green will forever run through our veins as both clubs represent the greatness of Washington.

And Now for the Big Moment… The Spokane Shadow Crest

The Spokane Shadow is excited to unveil a fresh new look for the club. Still keeping to our roots, the new Spokane Shadow badge features a somewhat similar look to the old Shadow logo, by including the original Shadow name and soccer ball. New elements include the iconic Riverfront Park Pavilion and Clock Tower along with the inclusion of 1999, our founding year. Our primary colors beginning with the 2024-25 season will be traditional Shadow colors dating back to its early years – navy and sky – along with the addition of grey.

What Lies Ahead?

As part of the celebration of the Spokane Shadow 25th Anniversary we will be recognizing many of these multi-generational stories throughout the summer and before the kick-off of the fall 2024-25 season. Throughout the coming months we will be highlighting the history and impact that Spokane Shadow has had in the community as well as unveiling the full branding and new looks – yeah, that means new threads – as we move onto forging the next chapter in the Spokane Shadow family story. Thank you all for your continued support as we work together to guide our young athletes into the next phases of their soccer journey. Go Shadow!

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