Sarasota, FL– Amateur video caught a fight as it broke out during a youth football game between the Sarasota Gators and North Point Huskies on Saturday, August 27, 2011. It is believed the fight began as the Gators coaching staff aggressively pursued questionable referee calls. The referee sustained injuries, including a fractured shoulder. If you haven’t seen the video, take a few moments to watch it.
The youth squads are comprised of 13-15 year old boys. It is the job of the coaching staffs to mentor and teach these kids about teamwork and good sportsmanship. Not only did the men in these roles fail at their jobs, their actions shut down the entire Gators team for the season.
- 14 year old Jamison Saintville with the initial hit on Referee Jayme Ream
What we’re seeing is an incredibly dysfunctional cycle. The coaches don’t like the calls made by the referee, so rather than pursue a post game discussion and setting a mature example for their team, they lead with emotions, inspiring one of their own players to land the initial blow on the referee. The league, not knowing how to discipline, nor caring to perform an urgent staff replacement, decides to go with a knee-jerk reaction and shut down the program.
This program was put in place to keep kids involved in something productive, keep them off the streets and in school. The parents are now concerned about the impact this loss will have on their sons.
A coach in the North Point organization, David Garafalo, shared his take on why incidents like this happen; “It is society, it seems like the fundamentals of being a role model for your neighbors and your own family is going down the tubes as far as teaching kids right thing to do.”
Charges are pending on three Gator coaches, as well as one Gator player.
No laws, no fees, no fines will ever motivate parents and adults to behave like role models. This is something we need to bring back in our society at a grass roots level.