Former U of M Football Player's Foundation Donates New Uniforms To Youth Athletic Programs Across The Midwest

Southfield (CW50) - The Uniform Funding Foundation (TUFF) was founded in 2018 by former U of M football player, Adam Shibley.  Growing up, Shibley always felt like he had the highest quality equipment when it came to football. With good uniforms and equipment, a team's unity and confidence can grow exponentially.  The idea behind the foundation is to prevent equipment costs and participation fees from being the reason youth student-athletes cannot play the sport that they love.  

Adam Shibley, Founder of The Uniform Funding Foundation, joins Lisa Germani on Community Connect to talk about how the foundation got started and what kind of impact the donations have had on the youth athletic programs.

During his time at U of M, Shibley noticed his former teammate, Chase Winovich, fund-raising for the ChadTough Foundation. This became his motivation to start his own foundation, and he began the process through and incubator with mentors.

"Given the platform of being a University of Michigan football player, I could really make a difference in the lives of others."

The defining moment of what thee foundation should focus on came from a memory Shibley had of kids approaching his car in Cleveland, trying to raise money for their football season.

TUFF has now donated uniforms to teams in more than a dozen campaigns. Shibley personally delivers the uniforms, and even offers for the larger donors to deliver the equipment they paid for.

"When they get to put on a uniform for the first time, it sparks a new sense of joy and pride for the team."

As the foundation grows, Shibley is moving towards adding mentorships with former football players to further invest in the youth programs that receive these donations.

You can learn more about TUFF at GetTUFF.org

Watch Community Connect, Saturday at 7am on CW50