Meet the Firehawks: The football team working to keep kids off the street

INDIANAPOLIS — Football has a way of teaching the lessons of life. It’s especially true for the Indy Firehawks.

The youth sports organization looks to offer affordable opportunities to play football to at-risk youth in Indianapolis.

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“Football is kind of like a more disciplined sport,” explained Founder Travon Smith. “We can get the kids through discipline and just working on their everyday life skills.”

Head Coach Nicholas Blake says he does it to give back to the youth.

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He says a mentor would’ve helped him as a child.

“I do it for the kids,” Blake said. “If they're not having a good day in school, they can come out here and they can trust me.”

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It’s providing a positive influence for kids that need it the most.

“Some kids don't have their mom and dad at home,” explained Smith. “Having us there — that male figure — to push them harder, even though we're not actually their father, I think it goes a long way.”

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The Firehawks travel and play teams from around the country.

You can learn more about opportunities offered by the organization by visiting their Facebook.