After 4 of His Players Died From Gunshots, Alabama Football Coach Focuses on Violence Reduction

Alaina Bookman AL.com Timothy Vakakes has seen four of his former football players die recently from gunshots. Vakakes coached at Jackson Olin High School in Birmingham for nine years and said he developed meaningful relationships with many players. But he often thinks about those who later died tragically: Aven Mitchell, 21, Keyon Pollock, 22, and Isaiah Harris, 22, were all good kids who loved participating in their football program, he said. Now the head football coach at Spark Park High School in Hoover, Vakakes said he often thinks about how to be a positive role model for the young men on his teams. As Birmingham and Jefferson County wrestle with ongoing issues of gun violence and homicides, experts say teachers, mentors and coaches can play a critical role in supporting young people and encouraging positive life choices. Vakakes, who has worked in Birmingham metro schools for the past 15 years, said he spends at least five minutes during every practice talking to his players about what it means to be a man, including lessons about responsibility, integrity, making good decisions, how to handle adversity, leadership and being trustworthy. “I feel like those are the most important five minutes of our...