The winter months were bittersweet for Rainier High School alumna and Seattle Pacific University senior soccer player Sophie Beadle. After her final game against Point Loma on Nov. 30, she debated staying for a fifth year to pursue a master’s degree or head elsewhere to do so.
The 2020 RHS grad entered the transfer portal, and to her surprise, Washington State University contacted her early in the process and offered her a scholarship. After considering several other schools, she committed to WSU in March and signed on March 25.
“They were one of the first really big schools that I had heard from. I honestly didn’t really know what I wanted,” Beadle said. “I thought I knew what I wanted locationally and for school and soccer, but, ultimately, WSU ended up being one of the best options.”
Beadle played three sports at RHS — basketball, track and cross country. She got her kicks playing soccer with her select team, the Washington Premier Football Club, with which she reached the Elite Clubs National League national soccer tournament three times. She signed with SPU out of high school and was a starter for most of her four seasons with the Falcons, who compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at the Division II level.
In 2022, Beadle was named to the All-GNAC second team after scoring five goals and dishing five assists in 18 matches. She followed up her solid season by winning the GNAC Player of the Year in 2023 thanks to her league-best seven assists. She finished her SPU career with 16 goals, 25 assists and 57 points in 64 matches.
Although she knew her time at SPU had run its course after her fourth season, Beadle said she would not feel prepared to play soccer at WSU if it wasn’t for the competition and the teammates she had in Seattle.
“I would never be in this position without having gone to SPU first. Had I not gone there, I wouldn’t have this opportunity,” she said. “It’s going to be a big change in level, and I’m excited for a new opportunity.”
Beadle, who admits she rooted for the Washington Huskies growing up, said she knew she could compete at a higher level after playing against the Cougars in a spring game, one that finished in a tie.
“Throughout my time at SPU, I felt like they’re not paying as much attention to our team in Seattle, and it gave me and the team a chip on our shoulder,” she said. “At SPU, I always felt that the level was a lot higher than people thought. I have so much confidence from working with my team, and we always believed we could beat anybody.”
Beadle visited Pullman in January and said the town reminded her of her hometown of Rainier. While she enjoyed her time in Seattle, she is looking forward to the differences that Pullman will bring once she moves in on June 24.
“It’s less noisy. It’s more of a quiet town, but I do appreciate how it seems like a college town. It seems like all of the focus is very much on the school, being a Cougar and supporting the student athletes,” she said. “One major difference for SPU is that it was one small dot on a huge radar of Seattle sports. At Wazzu, if you’re on a team, you’re the star of the show. I’m excited to experience that for my last year.”
Beadle added that she is excited to compete in the West Coast Conference for a team that completed its seventh consecutive winning season in November. She was drawn to the program’s competitive environment and prose for developing future National Women’s Soccer League draft picks, including 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman.
“One of the top things on my list that was up there with education was a competitive environment, and I think it’s one of the most competitive in the country,” Beadle said of WSU. “From a soccer perspective, it’s super exciting to be involved in it, and it’ll be a great opportunity to push myself.”
Upon the completion of her bachelor’s degree in communications this spring at SPU, Beadle will pursue a master’s degree in strategic communications. She has worked for Red Bull as a student marketeer for nearly three years and hopes to land a job in brand marketing after graduating from WSU.
She thanked the Rainier community for supporting her over the four years since she graduated from RHS.
“I think people from Rainier are super loyal, and they’re always going to root for people from there. I’ve appreciated everyone that has reached out to me since I’ve committed and over the last four years,” she said. “I was really happy that I was able to grow in my adolescent years there and with people that always wanted to support me.”
