A high school baseball team in Nashville experienced a significant setback when approximately $10,000 worth of equipment was stolen, but community efforts on social media resulted in a heartening resolution. The equipment, which included a lawn mower and a gator, vital for the maintenance of the playing fields at James Lawson High School in Bellevue, was taken early Friday morning, as reported by WSMV4. Coach Coby Ginsberg disclosed the significant impact of the theft, noting that the school district does not fund their athletic programs and that "everything that we get, we earn."
In a surprising sequence of events, a trailer was initially stolen from a job site before being used to haul away the team's equipment. Tina Baack, from VT Enterprises, a home building company, recognized her company's stolen trailer in a post about the theft on Ginsberg's Facebook. Anonymously tipped off, the Dickson County Sheriff's Office swiftly recovered all the equipment outside a residence in White Bluff, where "several ounces of methamphetamine" were also found, leading to additional arrests, as WKRN News 2 reported.
The local community helped locate the stolen items with social media playing a critical role. The head coach’s post on Facebook quickly went viral with nearly 400 shares, which contributed to an anonymous tip that led to the recovery of the stolen property. Ginsberg told WKRN News 2, "A lot of times, people get on social media and bicker. But now, this was a good thing, where everybody came together for a cause."
Authorities arrested 44-year-old Clinton Watson, charging him with felony possession of stolen property. "Stealing is no good no matter how it is, but when you are stealing from kids, that is an extra problem," Ginsberg expressed his sentiment to WSMV4. The young players, who were initially disheartened by the loss, now feel relieved as their equipment was returned just in time for the season. Joe Featherstone, an 18-year-old member of the baseball team, shared with FOX 17 News that it was "a game changer."
Thanks to the valiant cooperation between the community and law enforcement, the James Lawson High School baseball team can now focus on the upcoming season rather than the disheartening theft. With Watson jailed on a $25,000 bond and the equipment back in the right hands, Coach Ginsberg and the James Lawson High School team can redirect their concentration to the sport they love.
