In Revere, Massachusetts, a girls’ flag football match saw a coach and referee exchange punches on the field. The scuffle happened right in front of the young players, forcing horrified parents to pin the coach to the ground to stop the fight.
This is not how we raise our children. We teach them to respect authority and control their tempers. Yet, an adult leader lost all control while kids watched. The adults failed the kids in the most basic way possible.
The Fight on the Field
Jeff Etienne, a referee with 20 years of experience, clashed with a coach from the Massachusetts Outlaws team. The team stated the coach was frustrated with calls that flipped from their favor to the other team’s in one play, according to the New York Post. The coach yelled in Etienne’s face before the referee pushed him back.
The situation quickly got physical. The team said the game stopped immediately when the fight broke out. Parents had to step in to keep the two men apart. One grandparent told WCVB that he was totally outraged by what he saw.
Etienne later admitted he should have walked away from the yelling. He said he takes responsibility for his response. He noted that we are not playing for millions of dollars or in the NFL. It should never be that serious in youth sports.
When Parents Become Bouncers
It is a sad day when parents must act as security guards for their own children’s games. The coach was pinned on the ground before being led away. This scene plays out too often in our communities now. We see coaches fighting in Pennsylvania, and now referees fighting in Massachusetts.
These are not isolated incidents. They show a culture that has lost its way. The rules of the game matter less than the ego of the adults. When the leaders fight, the kids learn the wrong lesson. They learn that anger solves problems.
We need to hold these adults to a higher standard. The team said the coach was questioning a specific call about blitzes.
