Youth sports are great as long as everyone knows their role and doesn’t take it too seriously. When that happens, it can turn ugly, quickly.
Often, parents overstep their bounds, but not always. Case in point: a Massachusetts girls’ flag football game descended into chaos last week when a coach and a referee clashed, prompting parents to intervene.
When a recent dispute between a referee and a coach from the Massachusetts Outlaws escalated and got physical in front of the kids, it was the parents who were left “outraged.”
The incident occurred at an 8-and-under girls’ flag football game
According to WCVB News, the Ghost Town Showdown tournament was underway at Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere, Massachusetts, on Saturday when the unpleasant incident occurred.
A group of parents can be seen separating a referee from the Massachusetts Outlaws coach in a now-viral video captured by a grandparent of one of the girls playing in the 8-and-under game.
‘I was outraged. I was totally outraged. I said, “What the heck is going on here?”‘ one grandparent reportedly said.
Other witnesses told WCVB News that the referee shoved the Outlaws coach after the coach yelled in his face about a call.
The referee admitted he made a mistake
Although he acknowledged he should have walked away from the coach, the referee insisted he was defending himself.
“In the 20 years that I’ve been officiating, that’s the first time it happened and it will be the very last. I do take responsibility,” he said. “Just like many other times that I’ve had coaches yell at me, I’ve walked away from it. That’s what I should have done.
“This sort of situation should never happen in youth sports. It should never ever be that serious. We’re not playing for millions of dollars. We’re not playing in the NFL. It’s youth. At the end of the day, these kids are learning. They should have fun. Let’s not make it about us.”
The referee and coach reportedly apologized to one another
After things had calmed down, the coach and referee reportedly apologized to each other. It’s unknown whether the football coach or the referee was hurt during the altercation.
“Our coach was frustrated with calls being made and was questioning a call about blitzes that were originally in our favor and then flipped to the other team’s favor within the course of one play,” the Outlaws said in a statement. “The situation unfortunately escalated quickly and got physical. The game was stopped at that point.”
The flag football team added, “Sometimes a negative situation arises in the heat of the moment in a game, and it overshadows many of the more positive moments and outcomes that come from youth sports. These two people are generally level-headed and positive around players and strive to present a positive influence and this situation is not indicative of their character.”