By Rubin E. GrantNathan Tozzi simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity of his young life.So rather than going to college in the fall, the just-graduated senior soccer player from Indian Springs will play for the Birmingham Legion FC of the USL Championship league.Tozzi already was on the Birmingham Legion FC Academy team, but as an elite player he will play with the … [Read more...]
A Very Merry Month of May: Spain Park Wrestler Oliveira Earns Spot on Brazilian National Team, Receives Prestigious Award
By Rubin E. GrantSpain Park wrestler Yasmine Oliveira had the most rewarding month of her life in May.At the beginning of the month, she traveled to Brazil and earned a spot on the U20 (Junior) Brazilian National Wrestling team for the United World Wrestling Pan-American Junior Championships July 8-10 in Oaxtepec, Mexico.She signed a wrestling … [Read more...]
‘Quiet Competitor’: Versatile Vines Excelled Throughout Her Vestavia Hills Track Career
By Rubin E. GrantOn the next to last weekend of May, Angelica Vines was sitting around wondering what to do next.“I don’t know what to do with myself because I’m usually at the track,” Vines said.A few days earlier, the Vestavia Hills senior had capped a brilliant high school track career by finishing fourth in the 2022 Alabama High School Athletic Association … [Read more...]
Running With Joy: Mountain Brook Youngster Representing State at USA Special Olympics
By Rubin E. GrantLisa Alexander was in for a big surprise when she entered her son Christopher in a local race for special needs children when he was 8 years old.“We didn’t know he was a great runner,” Lisa Alexander said. “He was so little and he just took off and kept running when he crossed the finish line. He’s kept running ever since.”Now a junior at Mountain … [Read more...]
John Callen Remembered as a Tennis Guy Who Tried to Make Tennis a Better Sport
By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.John Callen, the Birmingham native who humbly picked up tennis after picking up wayward tennis balls and then went on to a 33-year term leading the Southern Section of the United States Tennis Association, passed away April 3. He was 69.The USTA Southern executive director and chief operating officer battled cancer for more than a year. His … [Read more...]