Something many people may not know is that there is more than one Steelers football team that plays on the Northside.
While there is, of course, the nationally-known Pittsburgh Steelers, the neighborhood also has the Northside Steelers.
The difference between the two teams? About a 20-year age gap between the average player.
The Northside Steelers youth football team kicked off their season on Aug. 9 and will be playing through October. Part of the Northside Youth Athletic Association (NYAA), the team consists of local kids from ages 5 to 13 competing in the AFC Division of the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association.
“We have an unbelievable number of 107 football players and 63 cheerleaders (this year),” Audie Chapman, NYAA executive director and Northside Steelers head coach, told The Chronicle.
The team practices at Fowler Field, while home games are played at the former Oliver High School. Chapman said the team focuses on teaching every kid “from scratch” on how to play, building up their skills as they continue with the team.
“There’s a lot of kids here that have never played football before,” he said.
Beyond football capabilities, the practices also help build up the kids’ social skills and team work. In a time where many kids are staying indoors on the computer, the practices and games draw the teammates together for some outdoor fun and physical activity.
“Where else around [here] are you getting 107 kids together at any given time?” Chapman asked rhetorically.
In addition to the football players, the team also has its cheerleaders, whom Chapman called a “foundation” of the program.
“They’re the ones that are bringing the grandmas, the sisters, the moms and dads (to the game),” he said.
“The cheerleaders bring the crowd,” he said later. While sign-ups are closed for the team this year, registration for next year will open up in May and will end in July. For more information, visit nsyaasports.org.
“Around the Northside, there’s nothing like it,” Chapman said of the program. “When they age out of our program, they come back, still wanting to be involved.”
As for those who want to watch a Northside Steelers game, their schedule can be found below: l Sept. 5, against Homewood, home game
- Sept. 12, against Hill, home game (HBCU Day)
- Sept. 20, against Penn Hills, away game
- Sept. 27, against Sto Rox, home game
- Oct. 3, against Lincoln, away game
- Oct. 10, against West Side, home game (Homecoming)
Tickets to attend a game are $5.
