Beloved local basketball coach keeps spirits up for young athletes affected by Palisades Fire

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- Behind each drill is the steady voice of "Coach Mike." He's been the glue that continues to hold these young athletes together after the Palisades Fire. This, despite the club basketball team's own setback.

"We had just found a home gym in Pacific Palisades last year, so we were just getting our bearings in the new space," said Tricia Martin, CEO, SoCal Fierce.

Before the fire, athletes with SoCal Fierce basketball practiced at Palisades Lutheran Church with Coach Mike Martin. They were in the middle of renovations when the fire hit.

"Then boom, it was just taken away from us so quickly," said Coach Mike.

"Luckily we did not lose it," said Tricia Martin. "There was some smoke damage, and we could not and still to this day cannot get inside the gym to continue working."

Their priority quickly turned to finding a new place to practice with the hope of giving their kids a sense of normalcy.

Now, Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica is their new temporary home - it's a place where these athletes can be a team again.

"Basketball is kind of a therapy thing for me, especially being around people that I love, playing the game of basketball and yeah, it's just helped me get through the times," said team member Dashel Brecker.

The boys credit Coach Mike with keeping them together, despite all the changes over the last few months.

"I've learned so much from him and my teammates and I couldn't be more happy to be with them," said Brecker.