Getting there will take money. The organization is aiming to raise $60,000 to cover travel, lodging, food, uniforms and tournament expenses, and its leaders are asking the community for help.

"Our mission is just to give these young men an opportunity to go display their talent on a bigger platform," said Kola Parks Jr., vice president of Englewood Lions Youth Athletics. "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."

For the players, the stakes are personal. Devon Sanders, quarterback of the 8U team, said he has his sights set on a professional future.

"It's my dream to make it to the NFL," Devon said. "It feels good to be the leader of a championship team."

Teammate Ian Allen, a fullback, receiver and cornerback on the 8U squad, said the support from the community fuels the players' ambitions.

"It makes us feel good so we can win it all and we can get all those big old trophies," Ian said.

Parks said the program's value extends well beyond the scoreboard, offering structure, mentorship and life lessons to young people in a community that too often gets reduced to headlines about crime.

"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.

The fundraising push comes as youth sports programs across the city face rising costs for travel and equipment, and as community organizations increasingly rely on grassroots donations to keep opportunities open for families who cannot shoulder the expense alone. For the Lions, the goal is to make sure no player is left behind when the bus leaves for Louisville.

Donations to the Englewood Lions Youth Athletics fundraiser are being sought to close the $60,000 gap before the regional competitions later this month.