From The Tribune staff reports
PINSON — Pinson Valley High School varsity quarterback Cameron Jennings and Lakeshore Foundation adaptive athlete Zion Redington traveled to Baltimore last weekend to be honored by Under Armour for their athletic achievements and future potential.
Cameron Jennings file photo (Photo by Loyd McIntosh)
They each received a $5,000 grant to further their athletic pursuits, a year’s worth of Under Armour gear, and a one-day experience at UA’s world headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jennings led Pinson High School to the 6A AHSAA football playoffs and was named “athlete of the week” during week five of the 2022 season.
Redington was recently selected for the USA Wheelchair Rugby development team. Zion will join Chuck Aoki and other Paralympians in workouts and games against Great Britain’s development team at the Lakeshore Foundation November 14-18.
Over 650 athletes from across the US aged 14 to 17 submitted 150-word essays inspired by a letter NFL legend Tom Brady wrote to 15-year-old, up-and-coming high school football star Husan Longstreet who has been called “the next Tom Brady.” Morgan Freeman narrated Brady’s letter. Athlete submissions were not allowed to include photographs, videos, or statistics.
The athletic performance apparel brand has recognized a toxic trend among young athletes who are constantly compared, measured, and judged on social media instead of nurtured and developed by those who have their best interests at heart.
“The Athlete No One Saw Coming” program is focused on “encouraging young athletes to look beyond the comparisons and focus on their biggest competition — the athlete in the mirror.”
“For young athletes today, there are more distractions coming up through the ranks than there were for me,” Brady said. “I wasn’t a prodigy. I had to really work hard to put myself in a position to succeed.”Kevin Plank, Founder and Brand Chief of Under Armour, addressed the grant recipients by video. “Under Armour was created with you in mind, the next generation of greats.”
