October 30, 2014 • Football

Parents brawl gets teams banned from youth football playoffs

We’ve heard of football teams being banned after players fight on the field — in fact, we wrote about it last week — but here’s a story where parents are the ones to blame.

Two Washington youth football teams are finished for the season after parents brawled during a game earlier this month. One team was undefeated, hoping for a league championship, but now the 9- and 10-year-olds won’t have the chance.

From Komonews.com:

Surveillance cameras at the field captured the entire brawl. Police say they have cited two parents of a Bothell player for assault. According to investigators, they have handed the case on to the prosecuting attorney and charges are expected to be filed.

“It’s abominable. I can’t believe this is happening to these kids,” said Kimberly Stephen, who is the parent of the Renton Five Stars team member.

“It’s about the kids, it’s not about what happened on the sidelines,” adds Courtney Stephens. “Our kids had nothing to do with this, and they’re being punished.”

The Bothell Cougars do not qualify for the playoffs this year but the Renton Fives Stars do — so parents say their team’s punishment feels especially harsh. They have played undefeated the entire season. Parents want to know why their kids are riding the bench when police say Bothell parents started the altercation and in the end were the only ones cited.

Naturally, everyone is pointing fingers. One parent claimed others in the stands made racist comments. It’s a complete mess to say the least.

It’s unfortunate the kids have to pay for this one, but what else can you do? Parents like these are the worst kind, and they’re typically the ones obsessed with winning. Perhaps putting that at risk or taking it away entirely is the most effective method for reining them in.

As the story notes, a mother and father are facing criminal charges. If you watch the video, you learn that while the melee was going on in the stands, a kid was down on the field with a broken arm.


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