SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Young local football players who got to compete on the national stage were recognized in Springfield on Monday. The Springfield Tigers 7U, 9U, 12U, and 13U teams played in the American Youth Football National Championships in Naples, Florida earlier this month. Mayor Domenic Sarno honored the young athletes at a reception in Springfield City Hall on Monday. Some of the players told 22News that the Tigers are more than just a team to them. "It gives me a community, somewhere I feel like I belong and I feel like family," says player Jace Brown-Martin. Carlos Merrero, a player for the Tigers, adds, "When we're down, we pick each other up. When we're sick, we help each other." Springfield Tigers president Wayne Barbour told 22News that the program not only develops their skills on the football field but also helps with leadership and builds skills they can use in the classroom. Local News Headlines New England Donor Services seeking more organ donors this holiday season Two men arrested in Holyoke narcotics operation Tips to prevent frozen pipes in extreme cold temps Biden pardons dozens of death row inmates WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.