Chiefs help Center High get new synthetic turf football field as part of NFL grant

Center High School is set to become the second Kansas City-area high school to receive a $250,000 grant from the Kansas City Chiefs to build a new synthetic turf field.

In coordination with the NFL and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Chiefs are part of a program that is granting $3 million nationwide to high schools in need of new football fields.

“We are once again proud to partner with LISC and the NFL Foundation’s Grassroots Program to present Center High School with this grant,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a press release.

“We have seen firsthand how much the game of football can have a positive impact on an entire community. We will continue to support youth and high school football programs in our area, and we look forward to seeing the new advancements at Center High School in the near future.”

Center High joins Lincoln Prep as Kansas City-area schools to receive the grant. Lincoln began playing games on its new field in October.

“We’re very thankful to the Chiefs.” said Center head football coach Bryan DeLong. “We’ve been involved with the Chiefs for several years with Gary Spani — he’s a representative for them — he comes out to our practice about once a year and talks to the kids and shares with them. For them to support us in this way with such a big grant, it’s a huge deal.”

The road that led to Center being picked to receive the grant begins with Spani, a Kansas State and Chiefs linebacker during the 1970s and ‘80s.

Since 1996, the Chiefs have selected a coach of the week — or “Team of the Week” as DeLong prefers it — for all levels of Kansas City-area high school football. Spani, who has worked in the Chiefs’ front office for over 30 years, is the guy who visits the winning schools and coaches in person.

“We’ve won that probably five or six times, so whenever we’ve won it, Gary comes out and brings T-shirts for the boys or brings something for the team, a signed football or some sort of Chiefs paraphernalia,” DeLong said. “And every time we get him out here, I don’t miss an opportunity, I always want him to talk to the kids.”

The frequent meetings between DeLong and Spani have allowed the pair to strike up a relationship.

DeLong believes this friendship, along with Center’s success as a football team over the years, played a part in Center being picked as just one of 12 schools in the nation to receive the grant.

“He’s just a class act and does things the right way,” DeLong said. “Anytime we can have someone like that talk to our kids and share their experiences, we really have much love for Mr. Spani.”

The grant arrives at a good time for the Center Yellowjackets, who now have a nearly a full offseason to begin preparations for and construction of the new field. Center is one of the few schools remaining in the Kansas City area to still play on natural grass.

In the past, Center has reserved its main football field for game days only, opting for a less-than-pristine practice field the rest of the time. But even then, injuries due to uneven playing surfaces and bad weather have plagued DeLong’s teams, whereas other schools benefit from practicing and playing on synthetic turf.

“With the turf, it’s so exciting to me as a coach to be able to have a surface for practice every day,” DeLong said. “Whether it’s rainy or rained 3 inches the night before, to know that we have a solid surface that we’re not going to be falling down mud or twisting ankles or hurting ourselves.”

With Center becoming the second high school in the area to receive the grant, DeLong says it shows the dedication and care that the Chiefs show their local community.

“It sort of humbles you when a big, powerful organization, don’t forget the little people. And what’s it about? The kids; and we all love sports and love to cheer on the Chiefs, but why do we have sports?” DeLong said. “To teach kids to work hard and persevere through adversity and do those kinds of things and to know that we have (the Chiefs) in our corner is phenomenal. I can’t be gracious enough to the Chiefs.”

“I’ll be cheering a little extra hard for the Chiefs this weekend, that’s for sure,” he continued. “It means a lot to us.”

This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.