As his childhood coach said, Tavion Banks the Iowa University basketball star and former LINC student took a “wild, wild journey” to get where he was in his life on this recent Sunday morning.

Here he was, handing out his gift of boxes of Nike cleats to children that LINC had gathered at the Combine restaurant on Kansas City’s Troost Avenue.

And Banks is looking back on it all, measuring how far he’d come from “the ups and downs in life,” Banks said, and how “tough it is out here,” and about his old anxiety with school and all he had to overcome.

But that childhood coach — Nodie Newton of the Kansas City Tarheels youth basketball club — and Banks himself revealed the truths that made this act of generosity possible.

No. 1, said Newton: “Tavion has a tremendous heart.”

No. 2, said Banks: “I had people that supported me.”

Newton was one of those people, and so was LINC Athletic Director Jason Ervin, who worked with Banks in classrooms and after-school gyms as a LINC Caring Communities Coordinator when Banks was in elementary school.

And the driving reason behind Banks’ decision with Newton and Ervin to give the special gift to youths in LINC’s athletic programs was to pass on the same kind of hope and encouragement that inspired him.

“I felt I had to come back, help them out and tell them about school and keep them on the right track,” Banks said.

Banks grew up “in the inner city,” he said. People like Newton and Ervin helped him navigate the anxiety he felt in school and helped him hone his basketball skills to build his confidence and eventually open up college opportunities.

His journey took him from elementary school teams to middle school, and then Hogan Prep, University Academy, Ruskin High School, and Minnesota Prep Academy, then Northwest Florida Junior College and Drake University.

Finally, he transferred to the Big 10 Conference and Iowa University over the summer where the NCAA’s opportunities for athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness gave Banks the ability to give something back to his community.

When he reached back to Newton and Ervin, Banks learned that LINC and partners including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City have been growing free athletic programming for boys and girls. LINC’s growing offerings of teams, leagues and trainings come without the fees and costs to families that too often have denied children the opportunities of sports.

LINC relies on donations to help provide special supports to give the youths in its programs a better experience — including athletic footwear.

“I saw they were looking for help getting cleats,” Banks said. “And I told (Coach Newton) I want to do that.”

Ervin was overjoyed to have this reunion between Banks and LINC and to remember the work they did together when he was struggling with school.

“To see him as a senior in college means the world to me,” Ervin said.

“I got to watch his journey,” Newton said. “Watch him grow as a young man . . . I’m not surprised at all that Tavion is giving back to his community.”

“We’re so thankful to Tavion today,” said LINC Chief Operating Officer Jeff Hill, who joined the party at the Combine. “Nowadays access to athletics is a paid gig,” he said, “and we realize that the community we serve doesn’t always have the same opportunities.”

LINC parent India Patterson said her sons had been asking for cleats. That is an expensive request and she was telling them them they’d have to wait while she tried to save up.

“But you guys came through,” she said as her son, Josiah, 9, was looking at his new Nikes. “It’s wonderful, it’s beautiful, especially for a single mother who can’t afford them.”

Throughout the morning, Banks mingled with the youths, almost shyly, posing with groups of boys from schools with LINC programs, including Melcher Elementary in Kansas City and Conn-West Elementary in Grandview.

“It humbles and motivates me just to bring people together,” Banks said. “That’s the most important thing, just to bring our community together to help youth out.”

See more:

Sports, fitness and life lessons for all: LINC athletic programs multiply

Confidence and joy: New basketball players thrilled with gift of shoes