OAK RIDGE – When Yvonne Kostecka moved to Oak Ridge five and a half years ago, she couldn't afford to send her two daughters to Girls Inc.

Three years later, Kostecka was waiting tables at a local restaurant when a guest told her about the scholarship program. She jumped at the opportunity to get her children involved in Girls Inc. and give them an opportunity she didn't have growing up.

The last two years, Kostecka has seen the impact Girls Inc. has had on her daughters, especially since former Lady Vols basketball star Nicky Anosike became the athletic director and revived the sports programs. Raylyn Kostecka, 11, loves basketball and running, and has gained a newfound confidence through playing sports and participating in the softball clinics this fall.

"Just knowing that she can do anything if she just puts forth the effort and that she can do it," Kostecka said Monday. "So that confidence now has moved on into her schoolwork to where she is now more comfortable and confident in standing up in front of class or reading in front of the class. I've seen a change in that just from the confidence that she got from from the softball (clinics)."

The scholarship program requires Yvonne to volunteer, but she loves being around Girls Inc. as much as her daughters. Winona Kostecka, 5, is in her first year with the program and begs Yvonne to stay longer every day.

Girls Inc. has given her daughters experiences they wouldn't have had otherwise, like being ball girls at Tennessee soccer games or going to UT softball games. It also allows Yvonne to work and support her family as a single mother.

"They need to know that they can do anything they put their mind to, and there needs to be a healthy place where that can happen," Kostecka said. "And this is it, this is what I've seen. I love it. I love that the girls are happy to be here and that they grow and that they face every day with confidence."

Anosike called Girls Inc. her dream job. She gets to be who she needed when she was growing up, and she gets to help young girls realize their potential in sports.

Anosike, who started the job in August, said the girls were a bit scared of her at first. But on Monday, they huddled around Anosike as she spoke to media, arms wrapped around her or leaning up against her.

"The relationships have really been the biggest difference from the time that I got here 'til now," Anosike said. "I'm 6-3, so it's not easy to cozy up to someone who looks like me when you're a young girl, but now they know I really, really do care about them. I think building the relationships is an important piece."

Anosike has been encouraged by how the community has supported the program, especially the Tennessee softball players who volunteered to run the clinics. Many have donated, too, and on Monday UScellular donated $1,000 worth of athletic equipment to Girls Inc. through its "Gift of Connection" program.

"These girls are going to go as far as we push them," Anosike said. "So if we keep pushing them, if we have the resources to keep pushing them, then I think that we'll be shocked and amazed at where these girls can go in the next 10-15 years. And hopefully they come back and give back to the next generation of girls after them.

"But we just need the community to stand behind us, push us, give us resources, whatever we need to help us give these girls what they need to be successful. That's the most important thing."

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Lady Vols star Nicky Anosike has already impacted Girls Inc.