Objective

The Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation, established in 2007, actively seeks to attract quality sports events to the area at the youth, amateur, and professional level, making our area a regional, state, national and international destination for competitions of every kind.

We’re already off to a great start, sponsoring last December’s Robert “Rah Rah” Scott Basketball Classic in Coleman Coliseum, featuring the Hillcrest, Greene County, Erwin and Muscle Shoals boy’s teams. With initial funding coming through the generous support of the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, and the City of Northport, we’re laying the groundwork for future successes by establishing relationships with the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, and City of Northport; the Park and Recreation Authority (PARA); West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, Tuscaloosa Convention & Visitors Bureau and The University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State.

The key to our initial success? Strong leadership. Charles R. “Chuck” Sittason, retired Chairman of Regions Bank, was the driving force in the formation of the Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation and is responsible for a great deal of our early successes. Helping Chuck as Vice President is legendary former Alabama Basketball Coach and University of Kentucky Athletics Director C.M. Newton. Further, we rely on the able guidance of secretary-treasurer Justin Williams, a member in the law firm of Tanner & Guin and Accountant Brendan Knowles, from Way,Ray and Shelton Public Accountants.

After securing funding and government support, all that was needed was someone to head up the effort to bring big-time sporting events to the city and raise Tuscaloosa ’s profile in the state, regional and national sporting scene. The organization was looking for someone with a background in athletics and Don Staley was looking for a way to apply his coaching experience as an administrator. Staley, who resigned last November after 14 years as head soccer coach at the University of Alabama, filled the profile the organization was looking for and landed the job as executive director. Sittason, the foundation’s president, believes the non-profit organization found a perfect fit. He sees Staley as the face of the city’s sporting-event future. “Don brings a name that people around here know,” Sittason said. “He has a lot of experience with this type of activity while he was working in the soccer field. “We felt like having him here was a big advantage for us because he already knows the product."

Helping the leadership is a board that is a Who’s Who of area leaders: Johnnie Aycock, West Alabama Chamber of Commerce; George Brown, University of Alabama Recreation; Kelvin Croom, Tuscaloosa City Schools; Lee Garrison, Tuscaloosa City Councilman; Don Kelly, PARA; Brendan Knowles, Way, Wray & Shelton; Ronnie Lett, Tuscaloosa Quarterback Club; Kirk McNair, ’BAMA Magazine; Robert Ratliff, Tuscaloosa Convention & Visitors Bureau; Jimmy Warren, TotalCom; Johnny Williams, Creative Marketing Management; Steve Webb, Northport City Council; and Toby Wilson, Tuscaloosa Hospitality Association, Carol Park, Associate athletic director University of Alabama; Lilly Leatherwood, former Olympian and police officer with the city of Tuscaloosa.

Goals and Mission

Our purpose? "To provide, organize, and administer youth, amateur, and professional sports activities, programs, and events to enhance the quality of community life in the Tuscaloosa County area.  The Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation will seek to improve, support, and enhance the sports experience in Tuscaloosa County and the West Alabama region, through volunteerism, networking, fund raising, and education.  The Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation will organize and foster regional, national, and international amateur and professional sports competitions and will conduct meetings, events, conferences, and competitions in the Tuscaloosa County area."