Lock up your stuff!!!

[GoRangrHky]

Just a reminder for anyone at or going to NARCh- make sure you get the key to your locker room from the desk between rinks 2 and 3. Our team had a bunch of cell phones, iPods, and cash taken from our locker room on the main rink last night. Unlike last year in San Jose, they have nobody blocking off the paths to the locker rooms. We were told this is the third time this has happened during the tournament. Unfortunately we were never told here were keys, and never saw anyone with them, but consider this your warning. The rink took our info, but never called the police or anything. I guess we should have known better, but I guess I'm naive enough to expect a little more out of the members of the roller hockey community.

Fortunately all of my stuff made it, since I buried my stuff pretty deep, but we have a whole bunch of guys whose experience was definitely soured by this.

[Leaferguy]

****, that's lame.

Sorry to hear about it.

[William Bourque]

so weak...

...sorry to hear of your teams misfortunes

[old hockey mom]

One of our San Jose teams had the same misfortune. Phones, ipods and cash. One kid traveling with another family had every penny he had for the whole trip stolen. Sure, he shouldn't of had it all with him, but jeez....

[wednthavddr]

Unfortunately, this is a reoccuring theme in every rink I've played at. I am sure most sports has "those people" who really tend to spoil things, but I feel it is a common occurence in roller hockey. Sucks for the players at NARCh who had their stuff stolen. Last year the Rollin Ice staff wouldn't let you go from one rink to the other with your skates on. Sounds like "security" was not a priority this year.

[iceburg]

sucks. it happens at alot of rinks, ice also.

[InlineMBA]

Thanks for this post.

Ever since we started play, we've been getting the key and haven't had any problems. One thing I have noticed is, even without locker room attendants, the locker rooms are pretty clean. Most tournaments, by the end of the day, the locker rooms are trashed - but not here.

We were here 3 years ago - and no problems, even without locking the locker rooms with the key. Maybe a sign of the times.

Steve Inge - ROXBURY 8

[JLambertUMSL]

I don't have firsthand knowledge of this, but I heard there were cell phones stolen from locker rooms at TORHS as well. Lock up your stuff -- everywhere!

[FAUplayer]

I feel really bad for everyone who gets there money, phone, and I have even seen a passport stolen. As it sucks to have that taken away from you, you have to be smart enough to not bring that into the rink. Leave your phone and wallet in your vehicle, and just carry your keys. There are cameras in the parking lot, at least at Skatezone where TORHS was held, they would have to steal your keys from your shorts, than find your car, and then find the items in your. Luckily, my car has a hidden key which is the only key that will open my glove box. It sucks to have stuff stolen, unfortunately there are bad people in this world of hockey, I would not be able to live with myself if I ever did anything that wrong, but you need to be self responsible for your valuables. Even if your locker room locks and you have attendants, I still do not trust it; I have seen locker room attendants steal from teams when they are playing!

[DannyG]

hopefully, I am stating something that most already know, but...

We usually have a designated team Mom, Wife, Girlfirend hold all our stuff in her humongous purse, satchel, valise, or whatever. results in never had anything stolen since 1996 (when we began, not when we last had something taken).

[ACCCT2]

Honestly, I blame the tournament organizers on a number of levels --

Anyone making ANY kind of money off of hard working, trusting customers -- let alone the kind of money NARCh and TORHS generate (for NARCh and TORHS) -- has an absolute obligation to provide unassailably secure and lockable locker rooms (with extra lock capabilities), as well as on-site security and locker-room security guards/stewards (who would verify people going into locker-room/baggage areas). Anything less is total penny-pinching greed on the organizers part and their events should feel the financial wrath of players, teams and organizations NOT attending any such event that DOESN'T provide such reliable security. Start boycotting some of their events and watch how quickly they THEN take care of what they already should have done. Money talks, puck-pushers -- and walkin' money talks the LOUDEST.

I would NEVER leave ANYTHING valuable or ID-oriented in a vehicle outside (even less security with even more worries).

Check out insurance coverage and options/riders both available and offered by the event organizers -- a GOOD event should have such coverage, and at the very least, such coverage/options/riders available should at least be available within their event entry info/options. If they DON'T, stay away until they do.

[calihockey]

I agree with ACCCT2 to a degree. I have been to many tournaments where it would be easy for someone steal from people. I think just having one or two people sitting near the locker rooms would be great. It doesn't need to be a security gaurd or someone who is supposed to even stop someone, but having eyes around to see someone steal could prevent a lot of theft.

We all still hold some responsibility due to the fact that it is not something new that this happens. It has become some what of an industry standard and right or wrong, we need to make sure our things are safe. I know Patty use to try to get the keys to the locker rooms as much as she could when she ran topcat. That was a big help, but if someone is motivated enough to steal it may happen regardless of your efforts.

[InlineMBA]

Sportsplex @ Feasterville, PA: ECRHA Events and Regional Championships, NCRHA Championships, AAU Junior Olympics - Do keys even exist to lock these locker rooms? Been going there for what seems like forever, and I don't ever recall keys being available.

Steve Inge - ROXBURY 8

[quick_dry]

calihockey - I think it needs to be lockup, failing that it should be someone who does actually verify people going into bags are the right people. You just don't know which people are with what bags unless they're your own.

I can see who is and isn't allowed in my bag, but would I know who other bags at a tournament belonged to, and who was allowed in them? not very likely.

To much is at stake, not just from the 'missing money/ipods' angle - but consider the playing gear - jerseys especially. You travel across the country/globe and if your jersey gets taken, what will you play in? Big tournies don't let you chuck on your training jersey and jump out for a hit. Gear can at least be replaced/borrowed - uniforms not so.

(lots of jerseys went 'missing' at FIRS junior worlds, I didn't think we had any problems during seniors)

[Hocki]

My son had his goalie gear go missing in a tourney in a SoCal rink.

So if anyones sees someone with a nice set of 32" Heaton Helites, blue & white with the letters BAY sharpied into the knee beds/inside leg pads... heck, every label, make sure you don't allow them near your stuff.

As for tournaments... not all locker rooms lock, so have one of your trusted spectators (team mom, wife, girlfriend as stated above) bring a small garbage bag to hold the items for you... and collect them again after the game.