KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A young coach and cancer survivor is dedicating his life to kids in need. He is getting his teams prepped for summer tournaments, but they need your support to get there.

We watched as the kids ran drills at the Boys and Girls Club at Walter P. Taylor Homes in East Knoxville. They’re part of the Tennessee Finesse Youth Basketball Team and range in age from kindergartners to high school seniors. They come twice a week to learn the game of basketball and the game of life from team founder Geno Flowers and his head coach Kadell Robinson.

“Stay out of trouble, learn the game of basketball, gain leadership, gain sportsmanship, because half of them have attitude, stuff like that,” Flowers said, “I want them to be a different person at the end of this summer.”

Robinson told us, “I just love changing kids’ lives, come in, show them they can actually go somewhere in life.”

The young players are now ready to showcase their skills in tournament play, but the budget is tight, the needs are plenty and Flowers is hoping for our community’s help.

  • (Tennessee Finesse)
  • (Tennessee Finesse)
  • (WATE)

“The majority of my kids, they need basketball shoes, they’re slipping and sliding. I can’t really keep up with all that. I help out as I can and do as I can for the kids, but their needs and their wants is past what I can do as of now. So that’s why I’m reaching out for help,” Flowers said.

Part of Flowers’s heart for kids comes from his own struggles from his battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and gratitude for beating it.

“Nobody really knew about that. That was just a silent struggle that I went through but now I’m letting everybody know that it was a real strong fight, I had a lot of prayer warriors, and I do appreciate those that helped me get through these things,” Flowers said.

The kids help him as much as he helps them.

If you’d like to donate to help the kids have the basketball gear they deserve, and the chance to go to summer basketball tournaments, donate on Cash App at $TennesseeFinesse. For more information check out the team’s Facebook page, Tennessee Finesse