FA Euro Community,

We have been made aware of multiple instances of theft at New Utrecht yesterday evening. Four players reported that their Apple AirPods were taken out of their FA Euro bags, which were located in the little room inside the school building (behind the green doors, above the stairs from the bathroom). With respect to those who had belongings taken, we are working with those individuals, with the school, and with NYPD, to determine who is responsible and to try to get your belongings returned. It appears as though the individual(s) involved may not be affiliated with the Club, but we are still trying to figure that out. Those involved are aware of the specific details.

To be clear, theft, in any form falls short of our community standards and will not be tolerated. Moreover, it is against the law.

While we love that players are comfortable at New Utrecht and feel safe there, we acknowledge that we are in New York City, that we, as a Club, do not have total control over the facility and who enters/exits—especially with respect to those that enter and exit the school building—and, therefore, understand that we need to all take reasonable precautions to ensure that our belongings are safe.

Here are some “Best Practices”:

1. Try not bring items of significant monetary value to training and games.

2. Leave all FA Euro bags, in one line, with your teammates, on the side of the field near your training session, so that they are visible to our coaches and staff. Specifically, please do not leave any gear inside the school building (including behind the green doors).

3. Make sure all belongings that are not on your person during the training session are placed inside your zipped bag. Do not leave anything “loose” near your bag.

4. Before leaving training double check to make sure you have everything that you came with.

5. In the words of the MTA: if you see something, say something. With that said, if you witness a theft, please do not confront the perpetrator. At the next moment that you feel is safe, let an FA Euro coach or member of staff know what you witnessed. The Club has various emergency action plans (“EAP’s”) that coaches are trained on and they will know what to do next in this sort of a situation.

6. If a parent or guardian is waiting for you during the training session, consider leaving all belongings you will not need on the field at training in the custody of that person.

Finally, if you have any information about the recent thefts, or further questions or concerns that have not been addressed above, please let us know. We will continue to strive to create safe and inclusive environments at all facilities we use for training and games.

Sincerely,

FA Euro Directors