A youth football team on Chicago's West Side will compete for the national championship title this weekend in Florida, but they need some help to reach their fundraising goal to get to the sunshine state.
The NXT Level Athletics Chicago Chargers Vikings will compete in the United Youth Football League Open Division, and they're ready to take home the big win.
"It's something our kids look forward too," said Michael Willis, NLA Chicago Chargers president. "They worked hard all year. It's an opportunity for them, kinda like the grand finale, hopefully come back as champions."
Jayden Jones, 11, and his teammate Miles Tyson are flying out for a trip they will never forget.
"This is a big deal, because this is like one of the biggest tournaments for youth football," said Jayden, who plays offensive and defensive line.
"I'm really excited for that and excited to get more warm weather, because it's really cold in Chicago," said Miles.
For the past couple weeks, the team has raised money for the weeklong trip to Florida so they can play against some of the best athletes and explore off the field.
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"What it means to the boys, I feel like it's the ultimate opportunity to get exposure and to see things they have never seen before and experience," said Willis.
The players were able to raise $21,000 on their own. Their coach said they're about $8,000 short right now from reaching their fundraising goal with less than 24 hours to go.
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"We're trying to close the gap with funding and certain things like that, and I know God is going to make it happen," said Dwayne Tyson, NLA Chicago Chargers Vikings coach.
The program is now in its 17th season. Coach Tyson said he's proud of his boys and that the program has been life changing. But his heart is heavy thinking about the ones they couldn't save off the field.
"We had 10 kids who were actually murdered throughout the tenure of the program," he said. "It makes me sad just thinking about it right now because we do this so they can see other things because you just never know when your time expires."
For some of these kids, they will explore Florida for the first time, opening their eyes to something more than just football.
"Enjoy the experience because it doesn't happen all the time," said Tyson. "Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down, but we've been up—just need a little extra that's all."
If you'd like to help, you can contact Michael Willis at mwillis0424@gmail.com
