CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — A Chula Vista youth soccer coach is expressing gratitude after his community rallied to replace equipment that was stolen along with his truck last week.
Esteban Castaneda coaches two club teams of 11- and 12-year-olds who practice several times a week at Santa Venetia Park in Chula Vista. Last Monday, his Toyota Tacoma was stolen from outside his home. He later tracked it to Mexico using a GPS system.
The loss of the truck was compounded by the soccer equipment inside, most of which Castaneda had purchased out of his own pocket, forcing him to temporarily cancel practices for both teams.
"It's tough, you know, it's tough telling the boys that you, you can't have practice because, uh, your equipment was stolen," Castaneda said.
Among the items stolen were 3 sets of goals, approximately 23-24 soccer balls, and training gear.
A parent on one of the teams launched a GoFundMe campaign that quickly raised over $1,600, enough for Castaneda to repurchase everything that had been inside the truck.
"It was very heartwarming. It was great to see the community step up, you know, friends, family, even some people that we didn't know," Castaneda said.
Castaneda said he plans to work with his insurance company to replace his truck. Any additional money raised through the fundraising page will go back to the club and the players who need it most.
"I would try to gear it more towards scholarships so they could, you know, have a chance to play more competitive soccer," Castaneda said.
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