A Tale of Socks

It's 2008. Sports In Schools founder Will Niccolls showed up to referee a middle-school team in south Seattle and noticed something: many of the kids weren't wearing any socks. "Now most buy-the-book refs will say 'No socks, no game', says Will recalling the day. "It occurred to me that these kids deserved to play as much as the more affluent kids across the field. I had 15 minutes until game time, and there was a Target nearby, so I jumped in my car and came back with socks!" The rest is history.

Will is the Referee Program Director for Washington Youth Soccer, overseeing 4,000 referees, including their training and development. He has spent the past 20 years refereeing soccer at all levels and is widely regarded with great respect by collegiate and professional coaches as well as fellow referees. 

Will co-founded Sports in Schools in 2009 with his wife Kyleen. As Chairman of the Board, Will works to ensure that Sports in Schools gives every kid a chance to do something positive after school, and to provide kids healthy connections to their schools and their peers. He works directly with community partners, athletic directors, coaches and social services to remove financial barriers to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in school sports. Sports in Schools and our community are fortunate to have Will making such a difference in the lives of so many kids.