TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It ain't no fun if the kids can't have none.
One day after the Arizona Bowl game, the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) hosted its National Championship Tournament at Arizona Stadium.
12 teams ranging from 8U to 13U came from across the country and Canada to battle for the SYFL title, says Nykauni Tademy, SYFL Executive Board New Business Coordinator.
"We have some from California, some from Arizona, Kansas City, Duke City, they're from New Mexico. Now we have the LA Chiefs. That's a Snoop League team. We have a Hawaii team playing later. We also have a team here from Canada," Tademy said.
Snoop Dogg wanted to do more than bring a bowl game to Tucson.
Khalil Wadood, SYFL Commissioner, says Snoop created the SYFL nearly 20 years ago to show kids what they're capable of.
"The vision with Snoop is the experience, to take kids in troubled areas in the community and take them places outside of the neighborhood and expose them to things that they may not be able to see," Wadood explained.
Tademy says Snoop got involved with youth football with his sons growing up. He started out as a coach in a different league.
"Then he decided one day he wanted to start his own league. He came together with different people, the commissioner of the league, they kind of came up with the idea to start a program in the inner city and to make it affordable, fun, competitive," said Tademy.
Cason Diantonio and Daveon Coleman, players on the 10U Duke City Outlaws, won their division's championship and say they don't take moments like these for granted.
"It was really fun, like it's a big opportunity because we come from a small place in New Mexico," Diantonio said.
Coleman says playing in Tucson was fun and being able to compete in different states just allows him to improve his performance every time.
"We've played in other tournaments too out of state and it's great to play other teams and get more competition to get to that next level," said Coleman.
The 11U Southwest Stampede from Glendale, lost to the Los Angeles Chiefs and even though it wasn't the outcome they wanted, Brayden Mason is still holding his head high.
"I just want to represent my city and I just want to show people that you can do anything you want when you put your mind to it," says Mason.
The LA Chiefs took home the trophy, making it back-to-back titles.
Cairo Jenkins, an all-around player, says it wasn't an easy road to success, but all the hard work paid off.
"It feels great, you know? It started when we were 9 years old. We weren't as good, but we ended up building the team up and winning super bowls and now we're winning National Championships," says Jenkins.
His teammate Donte Roberts says it felt good to help put the Chiefs in the lead.
"So my teammate threw a ball to me and I scored and then second, my teammate fumbled and I picked it up, recovered and got a touchdown," said Roberts.
Wadood says Snoop made the program affordable for families and the goal is to have these kids be great human beings on and off the field.
"Everything with Snoop is to give them an experience, a childhood experience that they will never forget, that they will talk about forever."
All the kids who participated in Nationals were also gifted tickets to the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, which surpassed 40,000 people in attendance.
"It's great being that we're able to give back to the community, that we're able to bring this together, bring it to Tuscon and do it as one with the Arizona Bowl," Tademy said.
