Southeast/Long Beach : MINDING THE STORE

Lots of teen-agers love big, baggy, hip-hop style football clothes, but few can love it as much as a group of Compton youths who now have the chance to sell some in their own store.

On Wednesday, a group of 20 kids who participate in the National Football League’s Youth Education Town in Compton held a grand opening for a store they will run that carries a line of official football wear.

The youth center, managed by the nonprofit Cities in Schools of Compton educational program, offers entrepreneurship, computer and art classes as well as a library and recreation for at-risk youth.

Program instructors recently set up the store through Sixth Man Inc., a company run by several professional players that manufactures NFL Chill. The clothing features a peace symbol as a logo to help disassociate football wear from gang culture. By operating the store, instructors say, the teen-agers can learn job skills.

“This is one of the things we’re doing to keep these kids off the street,’ said Shirley Allen, director of Cities in Schools of Compton. “They’re learning marketing, how to create a business plan, networking and leadership.”

The new store takes up a small corner of the youth center, located in Compton’s Gateway Plaza shopping center.

Several youths saved up from summer jobs to buy stock in NFL Chill. If the clothing becomes a hit, they will make money on their investments.

“Since we own stock, it’s really like owning our own business,” said Akeli Slade, 14.