Youth football team's equipment stolen by thieves

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The founder of a football team made up of underprivileged kids said a thief stole a trailer full of his football equipment, putting the program on hold.

"That kind of knocked the wind out of our sail a little bit," said Carlos Honore, founder of the 5th Ward Saints.

The team was started in 2009 when Honore said he saw a need to get young kids off the streets and into a structured program.

"It gives them a sense of belonging to a team, to an organization and it teaches them how to work with others," said Honore.

We first met Honore and the team the is past summer. The kids are ages 5-12 years old. They live in one of Houston's toughest neighborhoods. Honore said some of the kids have strained relationships with their parents or live in an area where crime is rampant.

"It teaches them there are people that are out to do bad in the community, but we can't let that affect what we are doing," said Honore.

That very lesson, learned this week when Honore found out that the teams' equipment trailer was hauled off by a thief. Honore said about 90 helmets and pads were inside the trailer that totaled about $9,000.

"Our kids don't pay to participate. So everything that we get is either donated or we raise funds to get it," said Honore.

Honore delivered to the bad news to the team on Monday. He said some of the players were upset, others asked what was gong to happen to the team. Honore said the program will go on.

"We have to continue to move on and continue to strive to do good, even though there are people doing bad."

Honore said the 12-foot trailer is white and has two distinct pictures on each side of a man pushing a lawnmower. Honore said he would like the thief to return the equipment. In exchange, he said, the thief can keep the trailer.