By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
Even though he’s still in high school, Chancellor Sparks is mindful of his role on the football field and in the classroom.
“As student athletes, it is important for us to use our voice to share positive messages,” said the A.H. Parker High School senior. “Many young people look up to us athletes, so I think it is important for us to use football in any of our other platforms to spread peace.”
James Reynolds, a senior at Ramsay High School, said football is not just about competition but also community.
“Listening to [one of the coaches] at practice, he preaches that the community is bigger than you think it is,” Reynolds said. “It is not just always about you and your family, but it’s outside families that suffer from the same problems you go through.
Sparks, of the 6A state champion Parker Thundering Herd and Reynolds, of the Ramsay Rams were at historic Legion Field on Monday as their teams prepare for the Third Annual BCS Stop the Violence Classic August 21 in the stadium at 7 p.m.
The game has added meaning. Just last week Parker lost an assistant coach to gun violence.
“Violence of any kind affects more than just the people involved; it affects families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and the list goes on,” Sparks said.
The game is a collaborative effort between the two schools, with the goal of using football as a platform to address violence.
The idea for the game came after Ramsay won the state championship in 2022 when the team and coaches wanted to support the community.
“It’s a great, fun football game between two outstanding programs that both have a history of both pride and excellence,” said Sparks. “It is a combination of our local regional and state officials banding together to say that violence has absolutely no place in our community.”
“This is more than just about our school, it’s about our community and we want to keep our community safe,” Reynolds said.
Added Sparks, “This classic is a way to remind everyone in the city of Birmingham that while we may play and cheer for different teams on the football field, we are all on the same team off the field as we all battle to stop the violence.”
A.H. Parker High School vs. Ramsay High School, Thursday, August 21 in the Third Annual BCS Stop the Violence Classic at Legion Field Stadium at 7 p.m.
