Jaci McCormack, Rise Above Founder and CEO, Honored by Seattle Kraken as a “Hero of the Deep”
Rise Above founder and CEO Jaci McCormack was honored during the Seattle Kraken’s game versus the Winnipeg Jets (Photo by Liv Lyons)
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - On Sunday, the Seattle Kraken honored Rise Above founder and CEO Jaci McCormack as their Hero of the Deep, a member of the community in the Seattle area that goes above and beyond. A former D-1 athlete, McCormack has worked to uplift Native American youth, providing opportunities for advancement and development throughout sports. Taking her talents from the court to the community, McCormack’s work and story are being adapted into a feature film. With all of the success and true to her nature, McCormack turned the spotlight to the youth when asked about her journey and current mission.
““Our kids are at the top of our pyramid, everything that we do is with kids in mind. At one of the breaks here, they had the little guys playing, those moments are what matter. For us, getting back into the community, giving a platform for kids, giving them an opportunity… that is where my passion is. Creating spaces for them to dream big dreams””
In addition to reflecting on her journey and the work that she is doing with Rise Above, McCormack was also grateful to the Kraken for the community work they have been doing. Since day one, the franchise has been committed to working with so many different populations, and they do it in so many different ways.
““When the Kraken were coming here, one of the things that the organization said was that they were making a commitment to giving back to kids, and specifically indigenous youth, I think that they’re holding up their word. For us, access is prevention… as an example of what this access means, we had a young girl skating from one of the tribes in Idaho. She came to me and said, ‘is skating a career? Are there women hockey players?’ In that moment, you have no way to measure the impact that has on a child””
Seattle City Council President Debora Juarez, a supporter of Rise Above, said she agrees sports are a critical ingredient in positive youth development. Having previously spoken with Charles Hamaker of Circling Seattle Sports at an OL Reign match earlier in the year about the impact that women’s sports have on not only young girls, but also young boys, Charles and the Council President discussed the impact that these sports continue to have on the youth in our community.
““Anytime you have sports, that is the best medicine for children and their growth, maturity and confidence. I’ve seen our young women athletes especially use sports to gain control over their body and their mind. It’s also an opportunity to see people play something for a profession, knowing that they can do that. I can play hockey, I can play basketball, I can play soccer. Watching the Reign, the Storm and Sue Bird… all these little girls, even if they don’t make it to that level, putting it into their hearts that someday they could be there? That has never happened.””
Council President Juarez was present to support McCormack as she received the Kraken and One Roof Foundations honor, adding that seeing McCormack at work is inspirational. She said that between the Kraken and Rise Above she’s seen a major increase in the inclusivity of athletics. The sport of hockey historically has been predominantly white and still to this day prices out a large majority of families wishing to have their kids even participate. With the One Roof Foundation, the Kraken have been working hard to make the past sentence a statement of the past, striving to truly make hockey for everyone, just like the NHL’s campaign states.
““To see someone like the Kraken and NHL and OVG investing in Indigenous communities, Black communities, children of color, to me, no one’s ever stepped out like that, it’s more than just building a fan base. That’s so powerful and we need that in the city, I hope that when we get our NBA team back, they will be doing that as well… The Kraken have gone beyond the commercial aspect, of course it’s a franchise, a business, they’re building a fan base, but it’s much more than that. When we have the Leiweke brothers personally calling me to ask what we can do for this community, how do we properly do indigenous night, etc, that is incredible. I say to them, thank you, thank you, thank you.””
The sort of support, access, and resources being provided by Seattle’s professional hockey team continues to make waves in the community, a main goal of the organization. To know that not only are the Kraken acknowledging the land that they are on as indigenous land, the team is making sure that they give back to those who may not have ever experienced their existence. From the Kraken Community Iceplex, to Indigenous peoples night, the grant being donated to Rise Above, these are all examples of the Kraken putting themselves into the community and establishing a connection that will last a lifetime.
