VALDOSTA — The V-Town Connection Step Team is headed to the Super Bowl. 

The Super Bowl is starting early in Atlanta with events taking place throughout the city and bringing state agencies and businesses to the Capitol to celebrate football.

The Valdosta City Schools step team will take part in the NFL Play 60 Kids Live event at the World Congress Center Wednesday, Jan. 30, when they will perform with other kids as part of the event’s 60 minutes of activity initiative.

“I was given a text about the program looking for a co-ed step team in Georgia to perform,” said Jonathan Headen, step team coach. “It’s definitely a major thing for us.”

The team is made up of 23 members from third to 12th grade. The Atlanta performance is the biggest event in the nine years Headen has been coaching the team, he said.

The V-Town Connection Step Team started when Headen taught at J.L. Newbern Middle School. A group of sixth graders approached him because they wanted to perform at pep rallies but had no outlet.

“I just didn’t know what started then is as big as it is now,” he said. “It’s definitely an eye opener just to remember where we started from.”

The team might even be able to meet football players from the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots during the event.

The event will be live-streamed for free noon Wednesday for classrooms to use via Discovery Education.

Headen said the team will host an upcoming step competition 4 p.m., Feb. 23, at the old Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center, 3101 N. Forrest St. Step teams from Georgia and other nearby states will be present.

“It’s a dream for them,” he said. “These kids enjoy performing, so they’re very excited. They’ve put in a lot of hours — they practice six days a week just to prepare for competitions. Work hard and things happen.”

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.