Englewood Lions youth football teams hoping to raise $60,000 to cover tournament expenses

A youth football program on the South Side of Chicago has big dreams of a national championship, but to get there, they say they need your help.

Friday night lights at Ogden Park illuminate aspirations for young athletes, including Devon Sanders, quarterback on the Englewood Lions 8U team.

"It's my dream to make it to the NFL," said Devon, the team's quarterback.

The squad and the Lions' 10U and 13U teams are preparing for state championships, with their sights set on bigger stages.

"It feels good to be the leader of a championship team," Devon said.

The teams are gathering support to head to Midwest regional competitions in Louisville, Kentucky later this month. If they're successful there, they hope that propels them to national championship competitions in December.

"Our mission is just to give these young men an opportunity to go display their talent on a bigger platform," said Englewood Lions Youth Athletics vice president Kola Parks Jr. "We need tons of help. We're trying to get there, and we're trying to take every kid. Every kid deserves a fair chance to get down there to display their talent, because they've earned it."

The organization is aiming to raise a total of $60,000 to help with travel, lodging, food, uniforms and tournament expenses.

The teams' leaders said the experiences for the youth go beyond competition and lead to valuable life lessons.

"Good things that's coming from Englewood. It ain't always about the bad. We're doing the good work. We're teaching these kids," Parks said.

For the young football stars, the support leaves a lasting impact that they hope leads to hardware.

"It makes us feel good so we can win it all and we can get all those big old trophies," said Ian Allen, a fullback, receiver, and cornerback on the 8U team.