Darren Sawatzky

Sawatzky grew up in the Seattle area, playing for the Highline club as a youth. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way, Washington. After graduating from high school, Sawatzky entered the University of Portland. He played for the University of Portland Pilots soccer team from 1991 to 1994, finishing his career tenth on the career scoring list. He graduated from Portland with a bachelor's degree in organizational communication.

In 1995, Sawatzky signed with the expansion Oregon Surge in USISL. He also had trials with Mexican clubs UNAM Pumas and Leon in 1995, but did not earn a contract with either team. In 1996, he went on trial with Leicester City, but was not signed. In February 1996, the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS) selected Sawatzky in the eighth round (75th overall) in the Inaugural MLS Draft. He played nineteen games, scoring four goals that season. In 1997, his playing time dropped to five games as the Revolution loaned him to both the Connecticut Wolves and Worcester Wildfire of the USISL A-League. The Revolution released Sawatzky on November 10, 1997. In 1998, the Dallas Burn of MLS selected Sawatzky in the third round (thirty-fourth overall) of the 1998 Supplemental Draft. However, he played only a total of three minutes for the Burn as they loaned him out first to the New Orleans Storm then the Hershey Wildcats before releasing him.[2] Sawatzky then signed with the Charleston Battery, playing nineteen games in the 1998 season. In 1999, the Colorado Rapids of MLS took Sawatzky in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1999 Supplemental Draft. He played fourteen games for the Rapids in 1999, then was waived on November 24, 1999.[3] In April 2000, the Seattle Sounders of the United Soccer Leagues (USL). He tied for third in the league with sixteen goals, earning first team All Star recognition. In 2001, he played a single season with the expansion Portland Timbers. On December 20, 2001, the Timbers released Sawatzky. He then moved to the Kansas City Comets of Major Indoor Soccer League. In February 2002, he rejoined the Sounders as a free agent. He saw declining minutes with the Sounders over the next two seasons and on July 23, 2004, he announced his intentions to retire at the end of the season to devote himself full-time to coaching.[4]