HERMISTON, Ore.-The Seattle Seahawks and Amazon partnered with the Hermiston School District for Tech Touchdown, a free event at Kennison Field in Hermiston on October 10.
“Huge kudos to Larry Usher (Hermiston Athletic Director), the coaching staff and our kids for helping out, giving back and building a strong community,” said Jake Bacon, Assistant Hermiston School District Superintendent. “The Hermiston School District has a long history of sharing events like this with the community, and we will continue to do so.”
Tech Touchdown combined football drills with hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, and showcased how AWS technology is used to improve athletic performance.
“Tech Touchdown is about educating students about how tech drives the game they love, and inspiring them to see what’s possible,” said Benjamin Harvey, Community Engagement Manager for Amazon Web Services.
About 55 middle-school age students from around the region, as well as some from as far away as Portland, attended the free event, along with former Seahawks receiver Sidney Rice and Amazon representatives.
Football
“I love entrepreneurship and technology, being able to bring STEM and robotics to students goes along with my nonprofit Doers of the Good, I’m excited to be here,” said Rice, who spent three of his seven years in the NFL with Seattle, including the 2013 season when the franchise won its first Super Bowl.
After gathering at midfield for a group photo, students learned the fundamentals of flag football by participating in various drills, rotating through different stations, including the 40-yard dash, broad jump, agility, and more.
As students rotated through the stations their stats and data were recorded, to be used in the second part of the event, when they learned how STEM technology relates to sports.
“Everybody loves statistics, but this goes beyond that,” said Jordan Richards, Cluster Operations Leader at AWS. “Analytics is everything. It tracks movement and efficiency, can help prevent injuries, and helps track data and optimize everything on the field.”
Football and STEM
When the action on the field wrapped up, students headed into the classroom to participate in four STEM activities, including data detectives, projecting playbook, AI general manager challenge, and engineering endzone.
Students analyzed movements and skills, studied biomechanics and rated players before holding a mock draft and creating their own team.
For Rice, events like Tech Touchdown in Hermiston fit in well with the mission of the nonprofit, Doers of the Good (Dot G), which he started last year.
“Initially we focused on providing shoes and clothes for students, then we had a conversation about what we could do to have a greater impact,” said Rice.
Dot G works with schools, community organizations and corporate partners to empower underprivileged youth through STEM and robotics education.
“It’s a new age, STEM and robotics are where the world’s going,” said Rice. “We’re creating opportunities for students to become familiar with technology now, so they’re prepared when they get out of college.”
Bringing Tech Touchdown to Hermiston
A first-of-its kind event in Eastern Oregon, Tech Touchdown is the result of several factors, including the amount of technology in sports today, the popularity of flag football, and the partnership between the Seahawks and AWS, as well as the efforts of Amazon in the communities where it operates.
According to Schyler Hawkins, Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships with the Seahawks, a similar event combining technology and focusing on girl’s flag football was held at an AWS event in Seattle in 2025, and Tech Touchdown grew out of that.
“We built this from the ground up with AWS,” said Hawkins. “Today was an absolute success. We’re in awe of the facilities here in Hermiston, the turnout was great and the kids are excited.”
Students also received a football card with their name and picture on it, ensuring they will remember scoring a Tech Touchdown long after leaving the field.
