South Bend 9U Bulldogs make it to nationals and seek funds to make the trip possible 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- For nearly three decades, Pop Warner has been a foundation of youth football producing the athletes of tomorrow.  

And for 9U South Bend Bulldogs head coach Adrian Hunt, he couldn’t be prouder of his team’s performance this season.

"This year was probably the most explosive year that we've had since I've been coaching. We got a great group of kids, great leaders. They're big, fast, physical, they're smart. They're very coachable. My job really is to teach them the game of football, it's really bigger than football," Hunt said. 

The team made it to the national championship and won back in 2020.

Since then, the association has been working hard with hopes of returning to that level of success. Hunt says it feels great to get the opportunity to do it again. 

To make the trip a reality, the team needs to raise $22,000 in less than a week to cover travel and lodging expenses.  

They believe that with the community’s help, they can make this dream a reality.

Assistant Bulldogs Coach Ethan Suddarth says the chance to go to Florida is an experience these kids will carry with them for the rest of their lives, saying that they are the future of the city.  

"Everybody looks down on South Bend, so bringing up the children in the right way, it's a start of something different. We're trying to change that perspective of how people see South Bend," Suddarth said. 

You can donate here if you'd like to help them.