A group of seven tight-knit Southlake third graders is making waves in the world of youth flag football. Known as NT Elite, these young athletes—who’ve been playing together since kindergarten—recently qualified for the first-ever flag football competition at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games, to be held this summer at Rice University in Houston.
NT Elite plays year-round across various leagues like Rise, Stampede and Ulete—often in older age brackets—and they still find ways to win. The team has reached the championship game in top-tier brackets 11 times, bringing home five titles. Most recently, they traveled to Orlando to compete against 61 teams from around the globe in a World Championship, where they finished second overall—an extraordinary feat for a homegrown team with no paid coaching or formal training program.
What makes NT Elite so special isn’t just their record—it’s their heart. “I am certainly proud of this team and their continuing accomplishments. This small-town squad defy the odds by consistently winning on the biggest stages,” says coach Tommy Roop. “At the Junior Olympics, they will not only carry their hometown pride, but the spirit of every boy with pure love for the game, ready to once again battle the world’s best.”
Balancing multiple sports and schoolwork, these boys prove that passion, dedication and community can go toe-to-toe with elite programs. As they gear up for the Junior Olympics, Southlake is proudly cheering on a team that exemplifies what youth sports are truly about.