A Look Back

Today, his reaction is the same as it was then: his spine tingles, butterflies begin to flutter in his stomach, and the hair on the back of his neck stands on end.

It's been 43 years since Bothell High School graduate George Selg last stepped on the field at Pop Keeney Stadium as a competitor, but he still gets the same feelings every time he returns to the Northshore landmark.
George Selg

"I've had a great life," he said. "But to this day I can sit in the stands and remember playing on that field and in front of those fans like it was yesterday."

The Bothell of the early 1960's was much different than the one we know today.

The population of about 1,250 sent their children to the only high school in the area and Pop Keeney Stadium was the place to be on a Friday night.

"Playing there was like being on stage," Selg explains. "It meant we (as athletes) were accountable not just to ourselves and our teammates, but to the people in town. Because the town was so small, you felt a special relationship with almost everyone. We were unique in that regard.

"You knew that during the week you'd run into somebody who'd have a comment on the game. People took an interest in you as an individual."

George credits the lessons he learned as a student athlete with helping him start and grow his business. Today, he owns and operates two companies, Selg and Associates and Selg International, both industrial wastewater treatment operations.

Although business took him away from the Northshore area for several years, he has not missed a game since his return five years ago. "Things at the stadium have changed," he laughs, recalling the wooden bleachers and muddy grass field. "But it remains one of the best facilities in the state to play or watch a game."  (reprinted from Northshore Community, Winter 2006)