The Interviewees
These were some of the voices represented in this project, ranging from players to coaches to parents to organizational heads.
Jeremie Greer
Defensive Assistant Coach for the Alexandria City High School Football Team 2022 - Present
Coach Jeremie Greer has been a fixture in Northern Virginia for over 20 years, bringing deep experience in youth sports leadership to his community. A former head coach and one-time commissioner of the Alexandria Titans Youth Football Program, Greer put two sons through the program, both of whom have gone on to play football at the collegiate level. Today, he channels that same commitment into Liberation in a Generation, a non-profit he co-founded that focuses on ensuring financial stability for people of color across the nation. In the clip, Coach Greer offers a thoughtful perspective on some of the social and economic factors that are influencing ACHS football, along with the broader landscape of the high school.
James Clarke
Former Assistant Coach for the Alexandria City High School Football Team
2009-2015
James Clarke is a lifelong Alexandria Titan. After playing youth football, Clarke found himself playing for the T.C. Williams teams of the early 1980s. However, he decided to focus on pursuing basketball before the 1984 season, which saw the Titans win their second-ever state championship in football. He eventually rejoined the program in the late 2000s while his two eldest sons, Jeremiah and Isaih, played under him. In the clip linked below, Clarke describes some of the changes he’s seen in ACHS and how these things influenced his decision to move his third son, current Virginia Tech cornerback Joshua Clarke, to a different school.
James Parker
Director of Athletics & Student Activities for Alexandria City Public Schools, 2018 -
For the better part of a decade, James Parker has served as athletic director for Alexandria City Public Schools. After nearly 20 years working for the Amateur Athletic Union, Parker joined ACPS in 2018 and has helped facilitate efforts to improve Alexandria City High School’s football program even as the region experienced significant turnover. A complete renovation of Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium in 2021 and the establishment of middle school football through the Alexandria Titans youth program in 2024 are among the most notable events of his tenure. In the clip, Parker explains his outlook
Tarek Bolden
Head Coach and Assistant Commissioner for the Alexandria Titans Youth Football Program
2014 - 2021
Shortly after putting his son in the Alexandria Titans youth program, Tarek Bolden went from an active parent to an assistant coach alongside Jeremie Greer. Following his son’s move into high school football, Bolden became a head coach for the youth football team and eventually took an administrative role alongside Greer. Following a 2021 season that saw him help coach the Virginia American Youth Football Alliance 12U All-Star team to a national championship, Bolden stepped away from the Titans. In the clip, Bolden describes some of the cultural shifts he saw at the youth level towards the end of his tenure with the program.