Area football teams got the chance to play in front of the Super Bowl Champions this Summer.
The Kansas City Chiefs made a trip to Springfield to help grow the game and give high schoolers an opportunity to improve their skills.
The Kansas City Chiefs know a thing or two about winning, and now they’re teaching those winning ways in the Ozarks.
“We wanted to be more involved in the youth community and especially our high schools, so we’ve chosen not to only do it in Kansas City but try to get out to where our true fans are,” said former Chiefs linebacker Gary Spani.
The 11 ON camp is a cross between 7 on 7 and the combine drills.
“I think our linemen were the most excited about doing this and they had a blast,” said Willard football coach Frank Tristan.
“We kind of bring a different type of camp, really team building,” Spani said. “We think summers are about getting better each and every day.”
No better Chiefs Hall of Honor player to learn from than Chiefs legend Gary Spani.
“It’s an easy way to give back to the community through the high schools,” Spani said. The former Chiefs star now works on community engagement for the team.
Spani spent nine seasons with Kansas City in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, holding the team tackling record until the early 2000s. Bringing experience and expertise to high schoolers.
“There’s a couple of guys that came up to our players to encourage them and that means the world. They’ll remember this 50 years from now, I know that sounds silly, but they will,” Tristan said. “The fact that they have Chiefs on their chest is like ‘we’re doing it for them.’ It was a really cool experience.”
An experience to remember, along with skills to carry over into the fall season.
“Let’s find a way to get better today, tomorrow so when the fall comes you guys can be the best you can be,” Spani said.
