KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Dwight Hundley has spent years coaching travel football, but he's always wanted to make a difference in East Tennessee. That's how Black Heart Youth Sports was born.
"Our main thing we want to do is give the kids a safe haven to get off the streets. Our slogan is get off the streets and pick up some cleats. So for the last couple years, we've been working to get a place where the kids can come and do things that they wouldn't be able to do if they didn't have the resources that we're giving them, which is play all year round sports," Hundley said.
They've been able to do that with a new indoor facility in North Knoxville. While the physical aspect is important, Hundley says there's an emphasis on developing local kids into responsible adults.
"They understand having a scholarship to college is way more than being able to play football, because you can fall back on something. So our biggest accomplishment is getting our kids to see the light, understanding the biggest meaning of being a student-athlete," Hundley said.
With about 65 kids in the program, Hundley hopes it can continue to grow and help the community.
"Our main thing is just to be able to give back to our community, help our community and develop anything that we have within our community, make it make it a brighter, flower to shine," Hundley said.
Starting this weekend, Feb. 6, Black Hearts Sports will begin hosting a coaching clinic, with discussions from coaches all around college football, including former Tennessee running back and running backs coach Jay Graham. For more information on the camp and the other events, you can follow Black Heart Sports on:
The new indoor facility is located at 1918 North Broadway Street in Knoxville.