Cheltenham football team and many other community members have rallied around head coach Troy Gore in hopes of boosting his spirits as he mourns the loss of his son, Troy Rivera, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 28-year-old Rivera was in a serious car accident on September 18. Ten days later, he died from his injuries.

“I am still in a state of disbelief,” said Gore, a longtime minister at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Adding that the only thing that keeps him going is his team and the community, who have been there for him during the most difficult weeks of his life.

Gore is now hoping to use his grief to help turn more boys into men.

“I think there’s a responsibility for men to show and display emotional intelligence that teaches a young man that it’s OK to mourn, it’s OK to cry, it’s OK to say, ‘I love you,’” he said. “When you teach young men how to mourn, how to cry, how to walk away, it actually helps them in conflict resolution and helps them channel their anger and get it out.”

Read more about Troy Gore and how his team in The Philadelphia Inquirer.