Brandon Lions youth football organization out of luck

Clyde Wint and the Brandon Lions took a trip down a familiar road over the weekend.

Bad luck once again struck the Bay area youth football organization.

"It's extremely discouraging," Wint said Sunday, a day after someone broke into the Lions storage facility and made off with some expensive and much-needed equipment.

In late July the organization – cheerleaders included – fell victim to vandals. The criminals ransacked their concession stand and administration building.

To hide evidence whoever did that tried to burn it down.

"They busted open that door and went in there tried to set some t-shirts on fire," Wint explained.

He estimates the vandalism cost the Lions $3,000 in revenue due to the concessions that were stolen or damaged

Early Sunday morning Wint received the news about the second break-in.

"They took 20 helmets that get used for my varsity boys," he said. "Then you had the eight shoulder pads that they took."

Wint estimates the equipment stolen would cost - you guessed it, another $3,000.

He can't believe the team's bad string of bad luck.

"I'm saying to myself this can't be happening again," Wint added.

The suspects also stole the air conditioning unit for the building where the equipment was stored. That's how they gained access to the structure.

In early August members of the community stepped up to help the Lions get back on track. Several local businesses including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked in with donations.

On Saturday August 4^th – at the Bucs' first night practice – they presented the Lions with a check for $3,500. The ceremony took place under the bright lights of Raymond James Stadium.

Wint wonders if that much publicized event may have led the thieves to his facility.

"We were featured on the news, they figure we probably got a whole bunch of brand new stuff," Wint said. "That was probably the motivation to go in there and take all that stuff out of there."

The stolen equipment won't keep kids off the field this season but it's put the organization in a tough situation, again.

Wint: "Just when you think you're swimming, you're drowning again."

He does not think the thefts are an inside job.