By Lee Davis
Katie Steinert has always had a passion for coaching soccer.
She’s coached the game at all levels, but there’s one level that’s closest to her heart – kids with special needs.
“There’s just something about teaching soccer and seeing the smiles and hugs you get from the kids that make it a passion for me,” Steinert said.
Steinert’s love for coaching kids with special needs led her to become involved with TOPSoccer, a team program for athletes with disabilities. While teaching in the Hoover school system, she volunteered to coach in the TOPSoccer program. Steinert also worked to promote TOPSoccer through social media and word of mouth.
Her work didn’t go unnoticed. Last month, she was honored as the TOPSoccer National Coach of the Year at the U.S. Youth Soccer Awards Gala in Los Angeles.
Steinert was in attendance for the event, as she already had been named TOPSoccer Coach of the Year for Alabama and Region III, which includes the entire southeast.
“I was surprised to win the national award, as there were so many who were deserving,” Steinert said. “It was really an honor to be chosen.”
Steinert may never coach a team to a state championship, but she’s giving a special group of youngsters something far more valuable than trophies or medals.
CONFRONTATION MAY BE COMING…
Anyone who thought the Mountain Brook boys basketball team would have a down year in 2016-17 hasn’t followed the Spartan program very closely over the past few years.
Coach Bucky McMillan has built a well-oiled machine that almost seamlessly replaces graduating players with new ones who fit the mold that he demands: athletes who work hard, play fearlessly and always put the team over individual statistics. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Mountain Brook finished the weekend with a 25-4 record and number three ranking in Class 7A with the region tournaments just around the corner.
But if you’re looking to pick another local team to reach the Class 7A Final Four in the office pool, don’t overlook the Hoover Bucs.
In girls class 7A, the Hoover Lady Bucs look like they are close to resuming their position of a few years ago, when they were among the elite teams in the state. Coach Krystle Johnson – who as a player led Hoover to a state crown in 2001 – has rekindled the Lady Bucs’ pride and tradition. The road is long and hard, but the chances of Hoover returning to their familiar perch in the final four seem to look better every week.
In boys Class 6A, Homewood is a hardy perennial that always seems to play its best basketball in late Feburary. The Patriots’ record isn’t eye-popping, so many might overlook them. It’s always a mistake to overlook coach Tim Shepler, especially in the post-season.
In girls Class 6A, Homewood’s girls team has been a dominant force the entire season. The super freshman class of two years ago has matured into juniors. Standout forward Ajah Wayne has recovered from a devastating knee injury in last season’s championship loss to LeFlore to be a better and more dangerous scorer than ever. The Lady Patriots haven’t missed a beat under new coach Kevin Tubbs, and they look to be an odds-on favorite to reach their third consecutive final four – and they probably will go even further.
INSIDE TRACK….
The Hoover Bucs dominated the state Class 7A indoor track championships last week, claiming both the boys and girls titles by comfortable margins. Homewood brought home the Class 6A girls title, and the Patriot boys team finished a strong second place.
There were also some impressive individual champions, but perhaps the biggest winner of all was indoor track in Alabama. At one time in the recent past, indoor track was a stepchild compared to cross-country and outdoor track. One reason was simple: There was not an adequate place to hold the event.
For years, the event was held in a place called Celebration Arena in Priceville. The venue was better known by its nickname, “the Barn.” A generation of runners has memories of competing in a facility that – while not without a certain charm – was always cold and usually had a few loose boards in the flooring.
Eventually “the Barn” was deemed unusable, and indoor track was suspended from 2008 to 2011. The sport was reborn with the opening of the Birmingham Crossplex in 2012, and since that time, it’s just gotten bigger and better. Now indoor track can stand side by side with outdoor and cross country as the third competition option for Alabama’s talented young runners.
Sometimes where an event is held really does make a difference.