Girl hit, soccer coach charged

Toronto Sun ^ | 2002-08-03 | Jonathan Jenkins

[Lorenb420]

Scoring two goals for her 12-year-old girls' soccer team should have earned Brittany McNamee the respect of the opposing coach.

Instead, Halton Region police say she got an elbow in the ribs and they've charged a 39-year-old man with assault.

"I saw him lifting his arm," the Mississauga scoring ace alleged yesterday. "He fully swung."

After the incident, late in a game July 26 in which she found the back of the net twice, Brittany fell to the ground in pain.

"I couldn't stop shaking," she said.

None of the match officials saw anything, but others at the game did and filed witness statements with police, Brittany's mom, Christine, said.

But what has been just as disturbing for the family has been learning that the assault charge and impending court case won't keep the accused off the sidelines, at least in the short term.

"He's still going to be on the field coaching next week," Christine said.

Christine said the Ontario Soccer Association has told her they have nothing in their regulations concerning a coach assaulting a player.

No one from the Ontario Soccer Association could be reached last night but OSA president Brian Avey told a Mississauga paper: "This is a bit of a precedent-setter ... We don't have any rules or procedures for it." A disciplinary hearing has been set for Aug. 15.

Accused is Frank Pesce, 39, of Mississauga. He is to appear in court in Milton on Sept. 19.

[JZoback]

"This is a bit of a precedent-setter ... We don't have any rules or procedures for it." A disciplinary hearing has been set for Aug. 15.

How about just some good ole' common sense. This guy is accused of a serious crime. You don't need a rule that tells you he needs to be off the field until this is resolved as a precaution

[AppyPappy]

Soccer is more important than the law

[jimtorr]

""Christine said the Ontario Soccer Association has told her they have nothing in their regulations concerning a coach assaulting a player. ""

Christine, have you considered just removing a seemingly dangerous man from the opportunity to do more harm?

You seem more concerned with avoiding responsiblity by hiding behind regulations that you do with the welfare of children.

[DB]

?

[evad]

Soccer...the sport of peace.

[Reaganomics]

Soccer...the sport of peace.

Yes, tell that to the hooligans in Europe.

[libertylover]

Trying for the Woody Haynes (Hays?) award I guess.

[Ken H]

This idiot thought they were playing sock her.

[TexasBarak]

And where is this girl's father? Or for that matter, all of the other team fathers? Anyone who assaults my daughter, or any other young girl is going to get a visit from me, with a serious heart-to-heart about the matter.

[RayChuang88]

Yes, tell that to the hooligans in Europe.

That's one of the big problems of European soccer--the fans that do nothing but cause trouble to no end. Remember the 1998 World Cup and all the trouble being caused by hooligans that supported the various national teams? =(

The problem of soccer hooliganism makes the famous fan rivalries (Yankees-Red Sox, Florida-Florida State, Red Wings-Avalanche, and the more recent Kings-Lakers) here in the USA seem downright civilized in comparison.

[Born to Conserve]

Something is not making sense. How does a 39 year old man lift his arm and fully swing, and hit a 12 year old girl in the ribs with his elbow.

The elbowing I know of does not require much lifting or swinging, and how does a full grown man get his elbow down to the ribs of a 12 year old girl?

If he did assult this girl, then I would humbly suggest cutting a few of his tendons. But let's be sure first.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Actually, I think you meant

Soccer -- the Sport of Peace^TM

[TC Rider]

And where is this girl's father?

Seriously, if this happened to the daughter of most of the Dads I know, the coach would be on the sidelines in a wheelchair.

[HoustonPatriot]

It never seems to amaze me how so many hide behind regulations. This girl was assaulted, and for what??? Doing a good job?! Gimme a break!
This coach should be in jail right now with a 25,000.00 bond for this case. What this is is a case of someone getting away with a crime, plain and simple.

[bimbo]

Christine, have you considered just removing a seemingly dangerous man from the opportunity to do more harm?

Have you considered removing your child from the soccer league? … I didn’t think so. Well, having realized the dangers of soccer and having accepted them, give the coach a “yellow card” or a “red card.”

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Well, having realized the dangers of soccer and having accepted them, give the coach a “yellow card” or a “red card.”

You consider one of "the dangers of soccer" for a 12 year-old girl to be being assaulted by the 39 year-old male coach of the opposing team for scoring two goals?

[Man from Oz]

Dear Lorenb420,

If true as actually reported, incidents such as this don't really surprise to me.

My first-hand observations of parents screaming on the sidelines and the coaches who pull stunts (double rostering,etc )to win at any cost led my wife and I to the decision to remove our kids from this frenzied, BS. My kids still play, but on less "competitive" leagues.

Don't get me wrong, winning is the preferred outcome. However, learning how to lose with grace is as important as well.

Incidents like this support my opinion of how people lose perspective of what team sports should be about. Learning cohesiveness and playing together as a team should be the goals our youth competitive coaches (any sport) should strive to teach our young people. They talk out of both sides of their mouths. They'll profess it but instead will do whatever is possible to win at any cost to satisfy the egos of both themselves and the parents.

I have often wondered what the statistic is for young kids who eventually drop out of sports as they become young adults (high school) due to burnout. Moreover, I have wondered what the correlation is between being a gung ho, driven soccer parent and that person's previous sport history? i.e. I think many parents who did not experience a team sport as a younger person tend to live it through their kids?????

Thanks for the chance to sound off.

MFO

[jimtorr]

Have you considered removing your child from the soccer league?

What are you talking about? Are you implying that a coach assaulting members of an opposing team is an acceptable risk in organized sports?

How about removing dangerous adults from a youth soccer league?

[GISax]

What I want to know is, WHERE THE H€££ WAS THE OFFICIATING CREW? As a ref, I won't tolerate this from anyone. In our local leauge, I don't hestiate tossing a parent or coach who says anything remotely threatning to a player on the other team.

By the way, re #16: Yellow or red cards are only shown to coaches in American High School soccer.

--Ear Assault!