The Flint Jaguars basketball team in Flint, Michigan, United States, embodies efforts to nurture stability, encourage mutual support and strengthen community spirit in a city struggling to survive.

Flint, the birthplace of General Motors, is striving against out-migration caused by a precipitous decline in its motor industry, a health crisis brought about by the authorities switching water supply sources without proper safeguards, and the systemic neglect of high-poverty, predominantly black neighbourhoods.

Basketball is an integral part of Flint culture, and the city once produced dozens of big names at collegiate and professional levels.

For decades, four high school teams battled as fierce rivals. Now there is only one high school in town. The Flint Jaguars were established in 2017, merging the teams of the last two schools that remained at the time.

In 2020, the team fought to turn around what had up until then been a nearly winless history. By March, they were prepared to head to the division finals with an 18-4 record, having won more games in 2020 than in the previous three years combined.

Their play-off run ended prematurely when Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the season. Nevertheless, the student athletes had had a taste of collective success.