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They say teamwork makes the dream work, and that’s undoubtedly true for Birmingham Legion FC defender Alex Crognale and Colorado Springs goalie Zack Steffen.

Together, they founded VOYCENOW, a nonprofit organization that supports youth minority communities in The Magic City and beyond.

Read on to learn how our local soccer team contributes on and off the field and how you can get involved.

Meet Legion FC player Alex Crognale

Alex crognale Legion FC defender — Legion FC defender Alex Crognale is passionate about supporting the Birmingham community. (Legion FC)

Our team recently spoke with Alex Crognale about the inspiration behind VOYCENOW and how it supports underserved youth communities across Birmingham.

“In the midst of George Floyd and the BLM movement in 2020, Zack Steffen and I saw the civil unrest on a national scale and in the Birmingham community and decided we wanted to use our platform to make change.
That’s when we started VOYCENOW, to give a voice to minorities and underserved communities. The goal is to unite athletes from across the world to use their platforms to advocate through donation, mentorship and education.”
Alex Crognale, Legion FC defender + VOYCENOW co-founder

Since its inception in 2020, VOYCENOW has been backed by the collaborative efforts of more than 150 athlete ambassadors from 20 leagues and 13 countries.

How athletes use their platform to support the Birmingham community

Following the success of VOYCENOW, Alex and Zack also developed Parichute, a tech platform that connects nonprofits with professional athletes, celebrities and other influential people to launch campaigns and raise awareness.

Running a nonprofit, developing a tech platform and playing soccer full-time—does that seem like a full plate or what?

“We have more time than you think you would in the day. In the off-season, we’re already scheduling campaigns and making connections with different people for events so that during the season, most of our focus is on the field.”
Alex Crognale, Legion FC defender + VOYCENOW co-founder

What’s new with Legion FC?

Legion Facility 2024 100 How Legion FC athletes support Birmingham's underserved communities + exclusive look at their new training facility

Legion Facility 2024 119 How Legion FC athletes support Birmingham's underserved communities + exclusive look at their new training facility

Legion Facility 2024 111 How Legion FC athletes support Birmingham's underserved communities + exclusive look at their new training facility

Legion Facility 2024 121 How Legion FC athletes support Birmingham's underserved communities + exclusive look at their new training facility

As the club celebrates seven years since it was founded, Legion FC is unveiling a new training facility connected to its practice fields down Highway 280.

The Legion have always practiced out at the Dunnavant Valley Fields in Shelby County and building a training facility was one of the first priorities. However, limited lot space and the pandemic temporarily cut into those plans.

But the club finally started seeing more progress over the last year and now, the facility is complete. The building includes: