Pittsburgh Kids Win Regional, Head to FLAG Football Nationals

Ten kids from Penn Hills are about to live every young athlete's dream: competing for a national championship.

The Boyce Park Jets, a flag football team of 7-, 8-, and 9-year-olds, earned their spot at the NFL FLAG national championship in Indianapolis this week. They secured the trip by winning the New York Jets regional championship in New Jersey last October, beating out teams from across the eastern United States.

Coach Rashad Colvin co-founded the Pittsburgh National League FLAG football program in 2004 as a YMCA activity. When the Penn Hills YMCA closed in 2018, he and co-founder Erik Cooper joined the growing NFL FLAG organization, which now has more than 830,000 participants across all 50 states.

The regional victory came with a $10,000 prize that helped families cover travel expenses to Indianapolis. While there's no cash prize for winning nationals, Colvin says the glory of being the best team in the country is priceless.

Quarterback Tre Osbey has a simple game plan for victory: "Me, throwing the ball." He credits his mom, Ryan Glaze, a former Penn Hills High School basketball star, for teaching him to throw a perfect spiral. She jokes she'll take credit for his talent, even if she's not sure where it came from.

Wide receiver Harley Burton traveled from Wheeling, West Virginia, to join the team after leaving tackle football. Running back James Davis III is already thinking long term about his football future. When asked how long he wants to play, he answered without hesitation: "'Til I die."

The Ripple Effect

The program gives families more than just football. Parent Bernadette Stickles says road trips to tournaments in cities like Philadelphia become mini-vacations, complete with bucket list activities like running the Rocky steps.

For these young athletes, the journey matters as much as the destination. Win or lose in Indianapolis, they're learning teamwork, handling pressure, and discovering what they're capable of when they push themselves.

Wide receiver Noah McClendon sums up the team's confidence heading into nationals: "I'm confident with my team."