A Leduc football team has been sacked after its facility was broken into and equipment stolen for the third time this past year.
Curtis Dublanko, president of the Leduc and District Minor Football Association, walked into his trailer to find gear scattered throughout the room.
He noticed some footballs and jerseys were taken, as well as their automated external defibrillator kit.
“It’s a lot of frustration. We’re trying to once again run a non-profit community organization that benefits the youth in the community and build them up as athletes,” Dublanko explained.
In July, the league had their winter coats tampered with.
“Kind of piled up in a corner. It looked like somebody was perhaps set up shop here for a night,” he said.
The team is making use of the remaining equipment, but it’s left a sour taste with some of the players.
“The balls that got stolen, they were probably our best balls. So we’re playing with different balls,” explained Walter Koza, who plays for the Bantum team.
He said morale has dropped since the break-ins but they are using the incidents as momentum to be a stronger team.
“I wouldn’t think that we were going to be a target for anybody to break into,” Koza explained. “It’s disappointing that we got broken into but you know we’ll keep trying hard on the field.”
According to Dublanko, the cost to replace the missing gear is more than $2,000. For a non-profit organization, he said it’s a major hit to the budget.
“Although it sounds insignificant, it’s a big replacement cost… upwards of $2,000 for one team to have to bear that burden,” he stated.
Other minor leagues in the area have offered to lend some of their equipment in the meantime. Police have been notified. Dublanko has since upgraded security measures at the facility.
The association is asking residents in the area to keep an eye out for the jerseys or equipment in the community.
“To have just a mindless attack on an organization like this, it’s really disappointing,” he said.
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