Trauma to Triumph: Colorado Springs football team heads to championship after overcoming traumatic experience

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A Pop Warner football team is fighting through adversity in a variety of ways.

Back in October, at the beginning of their season, a brutal homicide took place at one of the games being played by the 719 Outlaws; leaving kids and parents shaken.

Now, after not knowing if the season would even go on, the team has qualified for nationals. From trauma to triumph, a perfect way to describe the 719 Outlaws football team.

"It was very, very difficult. Some of these kids didn't want to talk to anyone. A lot of kids, they just wanted to be by themselves," Head coach, Nicole Baumgartner said.

A traumatic experience as many of the young players were just feet away when the shots rang out.

"It brought us way closer together, but at the same time it kind of affected some of us. Everybody was scared to play at the same field because they didn't want it to happen again," player Kasynn Caleb said.

Baumgartner tells KRDO13 that it took the kids some time, but there was one thing that kept them all together, "It was football who brought them all back together and made them back to who they were before the event."

Another player, Dominic Torres, expressing similar feelings, "It brought us closer from us sharing more emotions with each other and, like, telling each other how we actually felt about it and how it affected us."

A new connection fostered through tough adversity. "I've been with some of these kids for about six, seven, eight years, so it's been a really proud moment to see them grow and develop and become who they are right now," Baumgartner said.

It's been 8 years since the organization has come this close to winning the championship title.

The team will play in Orlando, Florida on December 7th. If they can win two games, they'll be set to play in the big championship game on the 13th.

If you would like to help the 719 Outlaws team get to Florida, click here.