The US city of Ferguson, Missouri has been the scene of serious civil strife over the last 11 days following the shooting of an unarmed teenager by a police officer.

But amid the tear gas and rubber bullets which have become a regular sight on the city's streets since that incident, the town's high school football team are caught in the middle.

It was the subject of Robert Klemko's recent article on Sports Illustrated and tonight he joined us on the line to tell us about the team and the importance of success amid the tension.  

 "A lot of these kids are counting on their senior seasons of football in order to gain football scholarships. But the important thing I found out in the story is that the coaches and the parents of this community are trying to use the situation as a learning opportunity. The coach took a day off from practice to show the students a documentary about the American Civil Rights movement because he found out that some of them had never heard of the Black Panthers, which was a militant group here. While it's tragic that they have to experience this, because of how strong the leaders are in their community and football team, it's ultimately going to be a positive experience."

Klemko described how the team, who are members of that community, are dealing with the related issues which have arisen from the shooting of Michael Brown, and also spoke about the important role of the high school coach.

While school has been cancelled because of the protests and unrest, Klemko also explained how the team are preparing for an upcoming game which remains important for the young players' futures.