It was a fun, rainy good time for Burien and Des Moines middle schools, having kids from Chinook, Cascade, Sylvester and Pacific getting to finish off their season championships for first to fourth place in soccer and also to meet Seattle Sounder forward, Colin Rigby, at Highline Memorial Field Saturday June 11.

Cascade finished best, winning the game for first and second place, beating Chinook, 1-0, on Jorge Delgado's second-half, free kick goal with 15 minutes left in the game. The score was set up after captain Daniel Garcia was tripped 35 yards out from the goal.

"Best team I've coached," said Cascade coach Judy Cullen. "We had good leadership from our captains, Daniel Garcia, Dylan LaGuire, Daniel Faundez, and Dong Kim."

Dong Kim did not score on the pitch in the championship but had "13 or 14" goals this season, he said.

Sylvester outscored Pacific, winning, 5-4, in the third-fourth match.

"That was a good end of the season, especially in a stadium like this," said Pacific coach Leo Castaneda, who organized this event that included Rigby venturing from Seattle to watch the kids play and to support area soccer.

"I saw a few (future stars)," said Rigby, when popped the question of what kind of talent was out there. "We tend to get out and visit a whole bunch of kids this age. Soccer is important and soccer here in this state is as big here as it is anywhere in the nation."

Kim was asked if it was cool having a Seattle Sounder watch the middle school teams play games and then afterward grab the mike and personally talk to all the players, parents, and fans in attendance about his experiences in soccer and his take on the kids' play out there and such?

"I would like to be one someday," he said.

What will it take to be one? One, in this case, being a "Seattle Sounder."

"Got to work hard," he said.

Soccer is good here in our area, where teams have worked hard and it's paid off in good high school boys and girls soccer through the last decade or more.

Mount Rainier's boys team was second and third place back in 2002 and 2003 and in 1999 Kennedy's boys won the 3A title. Kennedy's girls have won the title, too, and Mount Rainier has been close through the years in state play as have Highline's girls.

So these are the players that feed into the area high schools around here, Highline, Mount Rainier, Kennedy, Tyee and Evergreen.

Everyone had a good time at this championship day of deciding the best from around here in middle school boys soccer.

What was most fun for players of the winning Cascade team?

"Winning," said Jose Gonzalez.

"Playing in the rain," said Henry Nguyen.

Riley Koback said what is maybe not noted for this game called 'football' in most other countries, but is certainly as large a part of this game as anything.

"Running," said Koback.

Castaneda hopes that his efforts, and others, getting a Seattle Sounder to stop by and watch the action and show support will continue to run powers-that-be into thinking.

He also hopes that the Highline School District's recognition of middle school soccer as more than a Saturday-only affair will begin.

"Fully funded means that we can have practices during the school week, and games during the week and probably have 14 games," said Castaneda. Though the season began in April, these middle schoolers, counting the championship only played seven games all season.

What will happen as a result of soccer at the middle school recognized as more than a club sport?

"Kids will feel better, the whole student body will know and go to games during the week," said Castaneda.

Soccer is an international sport, as Castaneda pointed out.

"Soccer has become one game, one team, with players from Mexico, Cuba, India, all on just my team, so that proves it," said Castaneda. "Soccer celebrates diversity."

Soccer can bring other growth too, like 'green' growth, so to speak.

Castaneda mentioned also the financial benefits reaped for the Burien and Des Moines communities -- more bodies in town.

"Kent, Tukwila, Federal Way do not have soccer as a (JV) sport, either, so you will get kids from those areas moving here because the parents will go where their is soccer in middle school as a season sport."

Castaneda put this tournament together this year and Rigby's appearance and knows that it has been a lot of hard work.

"If it happens (that soccer becomes a school season sport) from this scenario, I will be very pleased because that is my ultimate goal."

Castaneda wanted to note the ultimate efforts put forth from the coaches too.

"I'm impressed with the two soccer coaches from Sylvester, Miss Park and Mr. Vargas," said Castaneda. "They don't know much about soccer, but they have been brave enough to put a team together for Sylvester. They wanted kids to have fun and I admire them and I am proud of what they did."

He likes what can happen at this event too, that the kids can play on a field like Highline Memorial Field for the championship where the high school kids play their regular season and sometimes postseason games.

"I am glad we can play on a field that is so nice, it is such a nice field," said Castaneda. "The kids will remember this for a long time and that they had a great time playing soccer in their middle school years."

So, it's more a phrase for the current Seattle Mariners season, but it's timely none the less, at least Castanedo would agree what needs to be done -- the HSD needs to step up to the plate.

"It is time that the school district steps in and provides service," said Castaneda. "The students are the clients, we need to treat them with good customer service. Talking to parents out here about soccer not being a regular school sport, the comments were they were surprised it has not happened."

So it was a fun, rainy day, with a little agenda pushed by Castaneda, but his heart is obviously for the kids and doing whatever he can to make their lives better in soccer before they reach high school age.

The weather was somewhat drizzly and rainy, but many parents showed up in the stands to listen to Rigby talk to the kids about continuing to pursue their dreams and give it all they got.

So rain or shine, it was fun, a little cold so maybe the parents had less fun.

"For the parents maybe," said Castaneda. "But it was perfect weather for soccer. The kids had a blast."