New Fits for Central Football Players, Courtesy of the Chiefs Ambassadors

Thanks to the Chiefs Ambassadors, Central High School Blue Eagles football players have new fits.

“On game days, our kids wear shirt, tie and slacks,” said Coach DJ Pittel. “It can take them a little while for them to get used to it, but then they already have confidence when they have to wear those clothes to college and job interviews.”

Check out the Central High School Blue Eagles football album on Flickr.

For several years now, Coach Pittel and his colleagues have run a clothing closet for their players. But this year, he wanted them to have new shirts and ties in Central High School colors. So he reached out to the Chiefs Ambassadors, former players who volunteer with schools and charitable organizations in the Kansas City area. They generously reached into their own pockets, donating more than $1,600 to the football team.

They also called Keith Novorr, owner of Michael’s Clothing, a men’s specialty store with a long history of fitting athletes for formal attire. He visited Central High School in early August to measure the boys.

“This is what happens when you get into the big limelight,” Mr. Novorr said. “A tailor will come to you to fit you for custom clothing.”

Mr. Novorr keeps black-and-white Polaroids his dad took of Len Dawson and other Chiefs players in the ‘60s and ‘70s. He said it was a pleasure to fit the next generation of athletes.