Category: Sports

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

In mid-September, the Seattle Mariners hosted the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series at T-Mobile Park. At the time, the home team Mariners were still in the thick of a heated playoff race, while the Angels, having suffered a litany of season-ending injuries to their star players, were attempting to remain competitive as their calamitous season came to a close.

Hours before the first pitch of their series-opening game on Monday, September 11, a Tulalip tribal member, dawning the red and gray team-issued colors of the Angels, emerged from the Los Angeles dugout, casually walked out to the pitcher’s mound, and got to work. That man is Mike Ashman, #91 on the Angels’ official coaching directory, and a professional batting practice pitcher in Major League Baseball.

Unlike the typical pitchers employed by baseball teams, Ashman’s job isn’t achieved by striking out hitters or getting them to hit in-field popups. Instead, his primary objective is to throw 60-mph pitches at Angel’s franchise player Mike Trout, and others in the lineup, to find their bat-swinging groove pregame as they turn his precisely placed pitches into thunderclap-sounding home runs.

Pitch after pitch, monstrous hit after monstrous hit, Ashman builds the confidence of professional hitters who are paid millions of dollars to hit a 3-inch in-diameter baseball from spring training in March to MLB playoffs in October. The grueling 162-game regular season is a marathon for managers and players alike who enter each season with dreams of winning the World Series.

But for the 63-year-old Tulalip elder, the baseball grind is the only life he’s known. And what some call a grind, he calls living a dream. 

“I love this game. It really has been everything to me, and when I take a moment to reflect on all the experiences, all the travel and relationships I’ve made, it’s really been unbelievable,” said Ashman while sitting nonchalantly on the Angels dugout rail. “As a kid, I played all sports but baseball was my best sport. I played from Little League to high school. Then, I continued at San Bernardino Valley College for two years before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona, where I was part of the 1980 Division II national champions. 

“After my senior year at Cal Poly, I got drafted by the Oakland A’s and spent five years in their minor league system, making it up to the Triple-A level. Then moved on to the Pittsburgh Pirates for one year playing Double-A and Triple-A ball. After that last year with Pittsburgh, I was 27-years-old and knew I wasn’t good enough to make it to the big leagues. I stepped away from the game and figured it was time to get on with the real world. So, I finished up my business administration degree and got a job with Allstate Insurance.”

The humble elder glossed over just how good his younger self was at hitting, throwing, and catching a baseball. In a detailed accounting, The Poly Post described Ashman as a star player for Bloomington High School, where he was a first-team selection for the San Andreas League twice. In 1975, his team was the California Interscholastic Federation runner-up. Ashman later flourished at Cal Poly where he earned All-America honors and led the Broncos to its 1980 championship title, batting a whopping .365.

Not only did he spend six years playing professionally in the Oakland Athletics’ and Pittsburgh Pirates’ organizations, but he was also a member of the 1980 Collegiate National Team and represented his country while playing in Japan for the U.S. Olympic Team. To recap, in his early 20s, Mike Ashman was an absolute stud. His talents in the batter’s box allowed him to tour the country playing the sport he loved both as a collegiate athlete and professional minor leaguer. His versatile skills on green diamond also gave him the opportunity to travel the globe while representing his country in world champion tournaments.

“Think of it back then as the equivalent of the World Baseball Classic or better yet, the Olympics. I was just a college kid playing against grown men, professionals from Japan, Korea, Cuba, and Italy. We played in all the major league parks in Japan, which was just amazing to me at the time. Our team performed well for a bunch of kids and we brought home a bronze medal,” Ashman said. 

Following a short stint in the ‘real world’, where left baseball and worked an actual nine-to-five, he found a new calling for the game he loved. Although this time it wasn’t playing, it was coaching. 

Ashman was an assistant coach at Riverside Community College for five years and hitting coach for the University of Nebraska for one season before settling in as head coach of his alma mater Cal Poly in 1996. He’d spend 15 years at the helm, amassing an overall record of 358-419-4. In 2010, the grizzled coach opted to resign in order to answer a new call being offered by the big leagues.

“Coach Ashman has been instrumental in the development of countless young men competing for Cal Poly Pomona, especially on a personal basis,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brian Swanson in The Poly Post. “He has been a hands-on coach and continues to maintain relationships with student-athletes long after they have left the campus and have become professionals in their chosen profession.”

In 2011, Ashman entered the most recent chapter of his baseball journey. Accepting a full-time position as a batting practice pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. During his tenure, he’s pitched to some of the greatest individual talents the game has ever seen. From 3x National League MVP Albert Pujols to 3x American League MVP Mike Trout, and, who some MLB commentators describe as the greatest player since Babe Ruth, 2021 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani. 

“They’ve all lit me up,” Ashman says with a chuckle. “That’s the goal: to have them hitting for consistent power pregame so they can do it when it matters most. There’s nothing like being able to witness true greatness in action. And knowing I’m just a small part of their much larger stories is pretty cool.”

On that mid-September Monday, hours before a matchup with the Mariners, he takes his usual spot on the pitcher’s mound, behind a protective L screen. While he throws to a new up-and-coming crop of Angels hitters, his sister, Caroline, and daughter, Delaney, watch with admiration as their major leaguer throws pitch after pitch. 

Following batting practice, Angels hitting coach Marcus Thames said of #91, “He’s coached in college. He’s coached in pro ball, and he’s played in pro ball. He’s a jack of all trades, but most of all he knows the game. When it comes to batting practice, he knows what kind of pitches each hitter likes and where to place them so our guys can build their confidence and get their hits going. Whatever our guys need, he’s there for them. He’s great at what he does.”

With the 2023 season nearing its end and his 64^th birthday only weeks away, Ashman is asked how much longer he plans to dedicate his life to the game he loves.

While pondering his answer, the Tulalip baseball pioneer responds with, “It’s funny because I tell people I’ve only worked three years my entire life, the three years I was an Allstate agent. It’s rare for someone to do this as long as I have. It’s something I think about from time to time. But every season brings new players, new challenges with new solutions, and new conversations in the clubhouse.”

Ashman then recalled a conversation with the face of the Angels franchise, Mike Trout. “Back in 2019, when Trout signed his 12-year, $400 million contract extension, he told me, ‘You’re staying until the end of my contract.’ My response to him was ‘Do you realize I’ll be 70 by then?!’ and he just looked at me and smiled. So, to answer your question, I guess I’ll be doing it as long as I can.”

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News 

The stands were electric, without concern for the rain, thanks to the newly covered bleachers at the Alpheaus “Gunny” Jones, Sr. ball field in Tulalip. The Tulalip-Marysville Hawks Midget and Peewee football leagues faced off against the Golden Eagles from Ferndale on Saturday, September 23. 

First up was the Midget league consisting of boys and girls 10–12 years old. The Hawks were off to a slow start and fell behind early in the game as Ferndale took the lead 14-6. After some halftime adjustments, the Hawks battled back with two touchdowns in the 3^rd quarter due to a couple of fumbles by Ferndale, giving the Hawks the lead heading into the fourth. With another fumble in the fourth quarter by Ferndale, the Hawks recovered the ball, drove down the field, and put the game out of reach with a 6-yard touchdown, extending their lead to 18. The final score of the contest was Tulalip-Marysville 32, Ferndale 14.

A tough fought contest; ultimately, the several turnovers Ferndale endured in the second half, mixed with some great runs by the Hawks, gave Tulalip-Marysville the win and brought their record on the season to 2-2. Coach Marshall Guthrie said, “It started slow, but we ended up doing good. The kids did great and fought hard out there, and we got the win.”

Next up were the Peewee League kids from 9 to 11 years old. Coming off a 3-game losing streak, the crew from Tulalip-Marysville were looking to turn things around. The Hawks offense started on high cylinders, bouncing off defenders and bursting across the field, scoring early in the first quarter. Their defense ran a shutdown performance, holding the Golden Eagles scoreless in the first half. Looking in control on both sides of the ball, the Hawks extended their lead 19 to nothing in the fourth quarter. Looking like a shutout, the Ferndale Golden Eagles managed to break free for a long run, scoring a touchdown as time ran out, leading to the final score of Tulalip-Marysville 19, Ferndale 6, giving the Hawks their first win on the season and bringing their record to 1-3.

Catch the Hawks on their home field, Saturday, September 30^th; kickoff starts at 10:00 a.m. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Seattle Seahawks logo is that rarest of birds: a culturally accurate sports icon directly inspired by a Coast Salish masterpiece — and one seemingly universally embraced by the Coast Salish people who inspired the original formline design. 

A design that is making a long overdue and welcomed return during the 2023 NFL season after the Seahawks announced details of the team’s official throwback uniform set to debut this fall. Over the summer, the Seahawks released photos of the Kingdome-era threads on all their social media pages and official team website to much excitement amid the fanbase.

“I’ve always been a big fan of these jerseys just seeing pictures around the building, so to put this on is pretty cool,” quarterback Geno Smith said via the team’s website. “I think fans are going to love it. It’s cool that they’re bringing it back, and it’s cool that we get to be the team that brings them back. Hopefully, the fans will love it, and we’ll go out there and kick a lot of butt in these things.”

 For some fans, this was a reintroduction to the team’s traditional uniforms worn from 1976-2001 that Hall of Famers Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy, and Walter Jones wore on game days. For other fans, it was a history lesson as they viewed the royal blue, Northwest green, and metallic silver color combo for the very first time.

But beyond the traditional colors of the ‘70s is the return of the original Seahawks logo, which is generally considered a highly stylized spin on classic, Pacific Northwest formline.

Origin story unmasked

Not so breaking news! There is no such thing as an actual Seahawk. Ornithology experts theorize the term Seahawk refers to a combination of an osprey, which is a bird of prey native to coastal North America, and a skua, which, in the Pacific Northwest, we usually call a seagull. If there isn’t an actual “Seahawk” found in nature, then what inspired the professional football team’s original logo?

The consensus is that in 1976, the NFL commissioned a logo for the newly formed Seattle football team. Then-General Manager Ted Thompson wanted the Seahawks’ logo to reflect “Northwest Indian culture.” He and his team of concept designers must have been Native culture enthusiasts who stumbled across a truly remarkable piece of Indigenous Northwest Coastal art. That artwork in question was a Kwakwaka’wakw (pronounced: KWA-kwuh-kyuh-wakw), a transformation mask from northeastern Vancouver Island. 

In September 2014, the Burke Museum on the University of Washington campus learned of the mask’s whereabouts and launched an online fundraising campaign to bring it back to Coast Salish territory. Raising the money needed to conserve, insure, and ship the mask across the country didn’t take long. Within weeks of arrival, the hidden history of the mask was unveiled, and the origin story of the Seahawks logo went public.

Even though the exact inspiration behind the Seahawks’ logo remained a mystery for decades, what has always been certain is its positive celebration by Coast Salish tribes. All along the Salish Sea, citizens of sovereign Native nations have used the logo to empower contemporary artists who have re-appropriated the Seahawk’s iconic imagery into our culture.

“Great things inspire imitations. In the same way that so many Native people and white people and Asians are inspired by hip-hop, an art form created by Black people, many people are inspired by our beautiful art,” said Native advocate, criminal defense lawyer, and Seattle resident Gyasi Ross. “Native people have some beautiful artwork; of course, it inspires people to want a piece of it. The Seahawks logo is a perfect example of that. And we love it.

“But also, the Seahawks are actually active and respectful of the huge Native community here in the Pacific Northwest,” he added. “From speaking at graduations to speaking out against the [old Washington] Redskins mascot, the Seahawks have a great relationship with the Native community here, both urban and reservation-based.”

The Tulalip-Seahawk connection

Their commitment to Native communities distinguishes the Seahawks from so many other organizations that claim to honor Native culture with their logos and mascots, yet contribute little or nothing to their local tribes. In fact, the Seahawks have a history of significantly impacting the Tulalip Tribes.

Back in 2008, Seahawk Bobby Engram collaborated with Home Depot, the Kaboom! Program, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County to build a 50-by-50-foot playground at the reservation’s ‘Club.’ In 2014, following the tragic Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting, the Seahawks hosted tribal member Nate Hatch and his family at CenturyLink Field (now Lumen Field), where they received VIP treatment from both players and coaching staff.

Additionally, Seattle Seahawks legend Michael Bennett hosted a once-in-a-lifetime football camp for Tulalip community youth in June 2019. Nearly 250 participants, ages 7 to 18, had an opportunity to catch a pass from and do drills with the Super Bowl champion. Afterward, Bennett stuck around to sign autographs and take photos with every single one of his adoring fans. 

Most recently, former Seahawk players Cooper Helfet and Jermaine Kearse landed a seaplane in Tulalip Bay in exciting fashion before spending an afternoon with 30 Tulalip youth at the local youth complex.

Empowerment through representation

A history of positive impact. Countless moments to uplift Tulalip youth and inspire them to always dream big. Promoting healthy lifestyle choices and physical fitness as a means of self-discipline to achieve long-term goals. The reciprocal nature of the Seattle Seahawks organizational respect for local tribes and the empowering, prideful Native fandom they’ve garnered in return continues to manifest itself in truly imaginative ways.

For starters, it’s common to see the Seahawks logo reimagined via eye-catching Coast Salish craftsmanship via all possible mediums. Native American artisans have reimagined the formline-based Seahawk as blankets, clothing, beaded earrings, attention-grabbing medallions, wooden panels, furniture, flags, face masks, and even six-foot chainsaw carvings that come together to celebrate the evolution of art, ingenuity, and true fandom. 

“The Seahawks have given back to our community in so many ways and really made a difference in the lives of our youth,” shared Youth Services manager and lifelong fan Josh Fryberg, whose large family buys new Seahawks jerseys representing their favorite players every year. “As for the connection between the Seahawks and Coast Salish art, the roots definitely run deep. For my family, we have a lot of Seahawks-themed artwork created by very talented Native artists, both from Tulalip and other tribes. More than the art, though, the Seahawks mean family togetherness. Every Blue Friday, we rock our jerseys, and every game day we gather as a family to cheer on our Seahawks.”

The unique partnership between the Seahawks organization and Coast Salish tribes, who comprise part of the devout 12^th Man fan base, took on a whole new meaning after the surprise announcement of a 10-year partnership deal with the Muckleshoot Tribe. This partnership is embodied by a Muckleshoot-created installation at Lumen Field’s north entrances. Dubbed “Muckleshoot Plaza,” this Indigenous space features a massive, reimagined Seahawk, two salmon, a canoe, and even Lushootseed text. The impossible-to-miss architecture designed by Muckleshoot artists reminds all who pass by that they are guests on Coast Salish land. 

“This artwork will not only inspire our communities but also educate them on the important history of the Native Americans in this region,” said Chuck Arnold, President of the Seattle Seahawks. “We look forward to a long and meaningful partnership for many years to come.”

2023 throwback and beyond

Whether the Seattle Seahawks contend for this year’s Super Bowl or not, in the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of Coast Salish tribal members, they will always be champions. Not because they’ve hoisted a Vince Lombardi Trophy, but because our professional football team respects their local Native American communities off the field – where it matters most.

Merging the past with the present while paying tribute to tradition is embodied by those who dawn the Seahawks throwback jersey. This is why the iconic logo can be seen so vividly on Blue Fridays, worn by casino patrons as they wager on the home team, and throughout Coast Salish territory by proud members of the 12^th Man Army. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

It’s impossible to know how many Native Americans attended the Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics baseball game on August 28. But what we do know is the official attendance for the Monday night game, dubbed ‘Salute to Native American Heritage’ night, was announced as a whopping 37,434 people.

And a nice chunk of that thirty-seven grand were citizens of Pacific Northwest tribes who journeyed to the Emerald City hours before first-pitch to get their hands on a highly coveted, limited-edition jersey created by Muckleshoot tribal artists. It was impossible to miss the intricately detailed beaded medallions, always striking cedar woven hats, and various forms of turquoise jewelry that visually proclaimed, “Our culture is alive and thriving!”

Lines wrapped around the multiple stadium entrances with anxious fans who wanted to be wrapped in a navy blue and Northwest green colored Mariners jersey that featured Coast Salish form line. Only the first 10,000 fans received the first-of-its-kind jersey.

Prior to first pitch, the Muckleshoot Canoe Family took to the always stunningly manicured green grass of T-Mobile Park and shared their culture through dance and song accompanied by traditional hand drum beats. 

Throughout the evening, the Mariner’s 11,000-square-foot scoreboard routinely displayed facts about Indigenous tribes of Washington. One example read: “There are more than 30 tribes throughout the state of Washington and over 140,000 Native American citizens in the state alone.” Another read: “Chief Sealth or Chief Seattle was a Suquamish and Duwamish chief respected for his peaceful ways and is the namesake of the city.”

During actual gameplay, the Mariners, who recently took 1^st place in their division for the first time in 20 years, gave their adoring fans much to cheer over 9 full innings. Center fielder J.P Crawford hit a 394-foot homerun in the Mariners’ first at-bat of the opening inning. The home team jumped out to a 1-0 lead and never looked back. 

Franchise phenom Julio Rodriguez added to the excitement by crushing a two-run, 420-foot bomb in the 4^th inning. He finished the game 4-5 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. During a postgame interview, Julio said, “It’s really good. I feel like everybody is playing like we all know we could,” Rodríguez said. “It’s been really good seeing everybody having fun, seeing everybody getting good at-bats and getting on base and passing the baton, and getting the big hits when we need them.”

Ultimately, the M’s won a memory-filled, 7-0 shutout in front of the largest Monday crowd they’ve had all season. Adding to the legendary game that was, ‘Salute to Native American Heritage’ night. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After the Seattle Storm announced its second-ever ‘Storm into STEM Kids Day’ presented by the Pacific Science Center and Department of Health, leadership within Tulalip Education’s division made the decision to add the WNBA game to its lengthy list of summer activities.

Many middle school and high school-aged children are dependent upon the local Youth Center to provide summertime entertainment and memory-making excursions. With the excitement around venturing to Climate Pledge Arena to watch the pros get buckets, an estimated 50 local youth were transported from the reservation to Seattle Center on Tuesday, August 8. 

“The kids were so excited for this game! We had 65 tickets total and the ones who came today acted quickly to be a part of the 50 or so kids we brought down,” said activities specialist Cierra Fryberg. “We overheard several of the kids on the shuttle mentioning this was their first time ever attending a Seattle Storm game. For us, it doesn’t get much better than helping them make these memories among friends and family.”

Total game attendance was announced to be a tad over 10,000 for the 12:10 pm tip-off between the Seattle Storm (7-10) and Connecticut Sun (20-7). Over the game’s duration, kids and families were able to engage in multiple activities aimed to boost child interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics available throughout the concourse inside Climate Pledge Arena.

“We love the atmosphere that Kids Day brings to Storm games, and that our Storm platform can provide a fun and educational experience for youth during a Seattle Storm game in the summer,” said Alisha Valavanis, Storm President and CEO. “We are grateful to our partners at the Department of Health and Pacific Science Center for helping create a memorable and meaningful day for these kids.”

Among the many activities planned, highlights from Pacific Science Center included a full-sized model human skeleton that participants could build and take apart, earthquake shake tables to build and test different structures on, and a hand battery, in which kids used their hands to complete a battery circuit.

“We are extremely fortunate to have a leadership team who thinks of our kids and coordinates activities and field trips, like this one, during the summer when our kids are out of school. As adults, we understand that not all kids have opportunities like this, but being Tulalip affords us a lot of benefits, especially as it comes to our children,” said youth enrichment manager Sarah Murphy.

Following the Storm versus Sun conclusion, the Tulalip group was welcomed onto the court for a group picture. Several of the kids took the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to imagine themselves as professional basketballers and shoot imaginary buzzer-beaters at the Storm nets. Of course, their imaginary shots hit nothing but nylon…swish.

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News 

With the sun beaming down on a glorious summer day, golfers from around the Pacific Northwest gathered on Thursday, July 28, at Battlecreek Golf Course to participate in Tulalip’s annual golf tournament. The event, organized by Tulalip’s Boys and Girls Club, promised a day of spirited competition and camaraderie on the green. With over $300,000 raised before the tournament even kicked off, the day would surely be a success for the kids. 

Over 20 years ago, the late Francis Sheldon worked with the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club to help create the tournament to raise funds for the children. The event helps the Boys and Girls Club operate and purchase items for events and day-to-day activities. This year’s funds will help with various activities and to update the kitchen.  

“This event brings everyone together for a good cause, to raise money for the boys and girls club,” said Mel Sheldon Tulalip, Board Director. “These funds will turn into more activities for our older kids and provide breakfast for the young ones. Coming together like this and building friendships and relationships that benefit the kids is wonderful.”  

The 4-person scramble kicked off at noon with a shotgun start. Each team heads out to one of the holes, and every group starts simultaneously. Players play the best ball from the best spot after each turn. At the end of each hole the team scores as a single unit. 

When asked how the course was, Mel said, “The course was in good condition considering we didn’t have enough rain, but the staff did a good job keeping the course as green as possible. Although the pin location did challenge us a little bit!” 

Along with food and drinks, fun raffle prizes were won, including an outdoor pizza cooker, air fryer, Yeti cooler, trips, and much more. Wrapping up the tournament, a dinner was held where it was announced the 7 Cedars team had won the match. 

After a great day of long drives, chipping on the green, and occasionally yelling four to warn the group in front of you, the big winners were the children. With raising $346,286 the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club will continue to provide exceptional food and great care for the kids. 

For more information about the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club, visit https://bgcsc.org.