Equipment stolen from youth football league in Frankford

FRANKFORD -- Some young athletes in Frankford hit the practice field without the gear they need all because thieves broke in, not once but twice, and stole the team's equipment.

Last year, the Frankford Chargers celebrated an undefeated season and won the 2014 American Youth Football National Championship in Florida.

There's a piece of history at Gambrel Field on Wakeling Street. This is where the Eagles began as the Frankford Yellow Jackets.

However twice this week, as the team began to kick off the season, State Representative Jason Dawkins, who helps run the league, says vandals broke into the concession stand and the equipment storage shed.

"This would seem to indicate that it's probably someone a little older then children cause they did a real number on the doors," said Dawkins.

For a while now, the team has used a large overseas shipping container to store all of their baseball equipment.

Over the years people have tried to break into it without success. Unfortunately, they didn't have one of those containers to store their football equipment.

"This is training equipment that we had donated maybe about two months ago from the Eagles Foundation that a few of our guys went down there to pick up and this is critical equipment," said Dawkins.

Helmets, shoulder pads and other gear were all taken.

"It was a very coward act by whoever did this. We have a lot of children that we're trying to serve and a lot of kids are gonna go without equipment unless we figure something out," said Dawkins.

Parents and their children are disheartened by the thefts.

"You know it's discouraging, we try to give the kids something positive to do and it seems like they're working against us," said Delores Anglero.

They may be down, but they're not out for the count.

"Like I told my son, I said, 'You're gonna go out there. They might have stole your equipment but they didn't steal your strength, they didn't steal your spirit so you go out there and you be the best you can and we'll try to replace everything that was lost,'" said Wessie Quiles.

For more information/to help visit: http://www.frankfordchargers.org/