Tuscaloosa mayor pushing for “Athletic Excellence Fund” to keep students active, engaged in sports programs

TUSCALOOSA Ala. (WBRC) - Tuscaloosa’s mayor wants more young people to take part in sports programs, but the plan is about more than just staying fit and active.

Mayor Walt Maddox wants to create the Athletic Excellence Fund through Elevate Tuscaloosa using $500,000 that will go towards improving high school and middle school athletics. Maddox says this fund will help recruit and retain teachers who are also coaches.

The mayor says this effort is all about keeping students engaged, active and out of trouble after the school day comes to an end.

Maddox points to successful programs like Hoover and Thompson. He says their success on the field helps recruit more young people into their programs. Maddox tells us students who take part in sports in TCS have higher grade point averages than their peers.

“We need more of our young people involved in athletics It’s a great way to increase the number of young people, get them involved in the hours after 3 o’clock and get them engaged with caring people who care about their future who want to make certain they succeed both academically and athletically,” Maddox said.

The money will also be used for improvements to athletic facilities and more.

The city already gives the school system over $6 million a year in discretionary funding. This new funding will need city council approval. Maddox is also proposing to increase the amount every year. We’ll keep you updated on the plan’s progress.

You can read more about the “Athletic Excellence Fund” here.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE WBRC FOX6 NEWS APP

Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email.

Copyright 2022 WBRC. All rights reserved.