BATON ROUGE - A basketball team needs help making the trip to the national championship tournament after winning the regional UAA Under Armour Youth title.

The group of fifth graders has grit, dedication, skills, and big goals.

"Go to the NBA," said sixth grade basketball player Blaize Zeno.

Before that, there's the National Future Circuit in Cincinnati, Ohio. The tournament is from June 22 to June 25, and it's something the Baton Rouge team is dreaming of playing in. To get there, they need funding.

Coach David Fergurson has been coaching the team since last year, and they practice twice a week under his guidance. In a BREC gym, he gives his times for the kids.

"It's a positive thing for the kids. We hear a lot about the negative," he said. "This is something for them to come into the gym and enjoy and know there's more than the streets and you can make it if you get in here and work."

The team has been working hard together for the past year. The team formed when parents and the community started looking for a positive activity.

"Kind of grown into a family," Fergurson said.

A family that's in need of funding to make the trip to Ohio, for most of them it would be the first time on an airplane.

"It's a lifetime opportunity for these kids," said Ashley Bennett, a parent.

The youth basketball players attend different schools in the Baton Rouge area and many come from single parent households. Some have survived tragedy.

"This is really their first year playing ball, we kind of just work hard, got in the gym and committed to doing this," Fergurson said.

The team competed in the regional tournament a few weeks ago and won in Texas. They're now determined to go to the next level. They need about $20,000 to make it to the tournament, and they're under a time crunch, since that tournament starts in about two weeks.

The team organizers are seeking donations through this GoFundMe page.