MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One solution often discussed to keep teenagers out of the court system is giving them more places to go and things to do so they don't commit crimes in the first place.
Memphis already have some great community centers around the area, but one man is hoping to change the way we think about community centers as a whole.
Seeing a need in the Bluff City, Ty Cobb — known by some as simply "Coach Ty" is using his star power to restart the "CoreFire Commandos" in Cordova.
The idea, originating in 1999, is to teach kids through immersive entertainment. Now, he's hoping to reignite the CoreFire commandos on a much larger scale.
"If we really want to change things, we've got to change the whole strategy from top to bottom," Cobb said. "It has to have youth training other youth. It has to be entertaining."
Coach Ty is also known for starting the "Bud Light Daredevils," an acrobatic basketball show. A few months ago, a documentary team approached him about doing a story about the show.
He agreed but on one condition — they must include his mission to create a largescale CoreFire Commandos center in Memphis.
Coach ty hopes to share this documentary with corporations to receive funding for the new recreational center.
For now, Coach ty encourages kids through "immersive escape rooms" that he builds and designs. He plans to turn this idea into something much bigger.
State representative and Memphis mayoral candidate Karen Camper is someone who is fighting for state funding for Corefire.
"Its a place where they can make friends for life, they can have fun while they're there and they can learn a skill," Camper said. "That skill can take them so far into the future."
The final product is slated to consist of 16 different vocational centers within the building where kids can learn a life-long skill. Cobb hopes to get the main project started in Memphis soon because other cities are interested.
Bob macauly, former sports marketer at budweiser
"The goal has to get accomplished, so if we can't get it done in Memphis for some reason we have friends in St.Louis, we have friends across the country, who we think can get fired up about this program," former sports marketer at Budweiser Bob MaCauly said.
Still, both coach Ty and MaCauly said the goal has always been to expand the CoreFire Commandos in the Bluff City.