Girls Inc. returned for another year and it’s an event that brings the Lady Vols back their childhood
Knoxville, Tenn. – Inside the gymnasium atAustin-East High School were more than 100 young girls eager to play basketball for Girls Inc. and learn from the Lady Vols Basketball team.
Scattered throughout the gym, each group was accompanied by a pair of Lady Vols helping the girls learn the fundamentals of the game and of course, adding the cheer and excitement the girls needed.
“They get the love of basketball that we have,” said Kaiya Wynn. “I hope that they wouldn’t want to be me, that they would want to be better than me. I just think that it’s really cool and I hope that we’re able to come out there interact with them, show them how fun basketball can be, show them how fun it can be to hang out with your friends and just play a sport. So, I just hope they leave here having lots of fun and a little bit of extra knowledge about basketball.”
As the afternoon reached the end, Girls Inc. put together a very loose scrimmage. The relaxed nature of this scrimmage was exactly the exclamation point the day needed.
As the young girls ran up and down the court, the Lady Vols were shouting from the sidelines. Mostly because the other Lady Vol “referees” kept missing what the Lady Vol “coaches” believed to be fouls or incorrect times on the clock.
An agreement was seldom reached as the Lady Vol referees, Jillian Hollingshead and Zee Spearman, threatened the coaches with technicals if they didn’t comply.
At the same time, event organizer and Lady Vol For Life, Nicky Anosike might have had more fun than anyone else during that moment.
“It was so much fun, but what everyone didn’t know was I was jumping around inside too. I was having so much fun. It was just a great experience and I hope that we do this every year,” said Anosike.
Moments like that reminded Wynn of her childhood when she’d go to basketball camps each Sunday.
“I really love to play basketball, but I was raised around boys so just being able to come into spaces like this and be around other girls that like to play the game like I do, is really what I remember from those Sundays,” said Wynn.
Having the chance to play a part in Sunday’s Girls Inc. was exactly the break from the 2024-25 season the team needed.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Wynn. “You see a lot of us out there smiling and having fun with the girls, just doing what we love and helping them hopefully figure out that they love the game as well.”
The Lady Vols’ presence Sunday was reflective of the same culture that was alive when Anosike was at Tennessee.
“It’s just a testament to what Pat Summitt built. This tree of Lady Vols, it’s a real family. Even though I graduated 15 years ago, to have the current Lady Vols come and support me in my role at Girls Inc. is just a testament to how special the Lady Vols really are. It’s not just a team or a brand, it’s a family and I can’t emphasize that enough.”
“One of our team rules is to wear this program with the utmost class. It’s not easy being a Lady Vol. We have a lot of eyes on us. But it would behoove us to not come out and support the people that support us every day,” said Wynn.
The fun everyone had can sometimes disguise the true impact the Lady Vols can leave on these young girls.
“It means the world to us. We know we have people in the stands that don’t have to be there, tons of people that support us and leave us nice messages and nice notes. So anytime we can hang out with people in our community and just play some basketball, it is just our duty to continue to push the game of basketball and push the importance of being a Lady Vol,” said Wynn.
A sentiment, Anosike believes was left on the girls.
“The Girls Inc. participants got out of this today that they’re important, they matter, and the Lady Vols are all here to pour into them. We want to see them succeed whether it’s on the court or off the court, we’re standing with them,” said Anosike.
Anosike continued, “It’s showing girls that they’re important, there are people that want to pour into them, that they’re loved, and we’re here to help them in whatever dream they have.”