Youth coach accused of berating team is suspended
TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) -- A New Jersey youth football coach who authorities say was attacked by a player's father after a game last weekend has now been suspended by the organization that oversees the league.
The Asbury Park Press reports American Youth Football officials suspended the 45-year-old coach, saying he used obscene language to berate about 25 players, most of whom are 13 and 14 years old.
The coach also told his players to turn in their equipment because their season was over, citing their bad attitudes and poor performance on the field.
An attorney for the league says the coach didn't have the authority to dissolve the team. He said league officials met with a group of parents on Tuesday night to discuss the situation.
Last weekend, authorities say the father of one player ran across the field and tackled the coach. The coach said the attack was unprovoked, but the parent said he acted in self-defense when the coach "took an aggressive stance."
The player's father was charged with simple assault. The league's lawyer told the newspaper that the parent and his son have since been banned from the league, but the suspended coach will be eligible to return next year.
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