South Philadelphia: Coach Finds Passion for Educating Through Basketball
Coach Troy Holiday took a circuitous route to rediscover his love for basketball. The New Jersey native was once himself a standout basketball player at Germantown Academy before attending Loyola University Maryland. After graduating, he became a salesman for a biotech company. But when the sales force for the company was released, Holiday was stuck […]
South Philadelphia: Athletics Crucial to Success of Southern
To find some of Philadelphia’s richest athletic history, one has to look no further than the halls of South Philadelphia High School. Trophy cases and plaques line the corridors, celebrating everyone from Eddie Gottlieb, one of the founding fathers of the NBA in 1946, to Lionel Simmons, a standout star at La Salle University who […]
South Philadelphia: Inclusive Rugby Team Strives to Defy Stereotypes while Staying Competitive
In the summer of 2003, Joe Cruz showed up to rugby practice for the newly-formed Philadelphia Gryphons. The University of Pennsylvania grad was one of seven people at practice. The Gryphons started as an idea, a new team that was attempting to be assembled by members of New York City’s Gotham Knights and the Washington […]
South Philadelphia: Karate Instructor Builds Confidence Through Discipline
Jason Helmer’s passion for martial arts came from an unusual place. “I was in high school working and one of the mailmen in the neighborhood mentioned karate,” Helmer said. “I was a big Steven Seagal fan, believe it or not.” Helmer is now the owner and senior instructor at Amerikick Martial Arts in South Philadelphia, […]
Washington Square West: Pickleball Craze in Seger Park
It was a year-and-a-half ago that Andrew Freedman and his wife Nancy were watching the evening news when a story about “the world’s fastest growing sport” piqued their interest. It was not long before the Freedman’s, lifelong squash and tennis players, took part in the pickleball craze. Andrew Freedman now spearheads a weekly pickleball meetup group […]
South Philadelphia: Local Rec Centers Adjust to Election Day Schedule
Election day is huge for Philadelphia. With more than one million registered voters in the city, one of the crucial tasks for the City Commissioners office is finding locations for the polling places. Finding sites for polling places in Philadelphia can often prove difficult because of its urban location. Of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, […]
South Philadelphia: Rec Leader Guides Former Recreation Center
Anthony Spadaccini spent countless hours as a kid at Barry Playground. Whether it was playing basketball, baseball or football, Barry was a second home for Spadaccini. That still holds true today, as Spadaccini, 46, is in his sixth year working as the recreation leader at the playground in his old neighborhood. With a background as […]