iStockphoto
A collage shows images of a bottle of champagne being opened next to a photo of a soccer field taken from behind the net.
What should have been one of the most joyous moments in New Jersey High School Soccer coach Karen Anderson‘s career has quickly turned into a nightmare of sorts.
Anderson, the girls’ soccer coach at Paul VI, recently picked up the 100th victory of her career with a 2-0 win over Notre Dame in the South Jersey Non-Public A quarterfinals.
However, she’ll now be suspended for the semifinal after a video on Instagram showed her popping a bottle of champagne that was given to her by a group of parents who had set up a post-game celebration after the milestone victory.
Notably, the video, which has since been deleted, showed Anderson setting the bottle down without drinking from it.
New Jersey High School Soccer Rules Required Her To Be Suspended
According to the NJSIAA policies and procedures, coaches and players are strictly prohibited from being involved with alcohol during or after games on school property. Violations of the rule are supposed to carry a one-year suspension from tournament play and possible sanctions that could “deny championship rights.”
Thankfully, everyone came to their senses a bit in this instance. But Anderson is still facing punishment.
“While Coach Anderson did not consume the contents of the bottle, Paul VI does not condone this behavior and recognizes the importance of upholding the standards of conduct expected of our coaches,” a representative from Paul VI said in a statement to NJ.com.
Anderson didn’t say whether the bottle contained alcohol. But she did say that she didn’t drink from it. She also saw the suspenion as an attack on her and her program, which is ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 16 nationally, with a 21-1 record.
“I’m not surprised that it is coming to light given our success,” Anderson said. “It’s really unfortunate that there are people out there looking for an opportunity to ruin all the hard work that I’ve put into this program.”
Anderson will now miss her team’s next game, which is against Immaculata on Monday.