If you are an adult, especially one that works with children to better grow their athletic ability with sportsmanship in mind, you probably don't want to go pushing opposing players during the post-game handshake.Don't go telling that to the Marquette Junior Mustangs Football program because these guys PLAY TO WIN THE GAME (AND PUSH PEOPLE AFTER)! Head coach Tony Warneke has resigned his position after shoving an 11-year-old kid on the other team after a game this Saturday. Of course, because Warneke is due for some good Karma his way, the whole incident was caught on tape and the parents of the shoved kiddo are pressing charges.
The push was, of course, caught on video and aired on St. Louis-area television stations. The grainy video, shot at a game Saturday, shows a brawny coach pushing a pint-size player in the face mask, sending him stumbling out of the frame.Now, for the other foot to drop with this story. It appears that the 11-year-old boy, along with some of his teammates, were screaming obscenities and such at the coach and his players during the friendly high-five interaction. Warneke, in an interview with a local television, KSDK, (that I hope is affiliated with Drew Magary) said if it had been his own son acting like a fool, he'd have taken him to the turf just the same.
The boy's parents are pressing assault charges, and police in Chesterfield, Mo., say they expect the local prosecutor to make a decision on whether to pursue the case by Wednesday.
The coach, in an interview with television station KSDK, said he thought the boy, who played for the opposing team, was being unsportsmanlike, and he shoved him as he would any other player who got out of line, including his own son.
"One of the kids coming at me was saying 'you suck' and coming at our players," Warneke told the St. Louis station. "When he got close, he said, 'You blanking suck.' And I reached out and shoved him and said, 'Knock it off now.' "Alright, I realize that the youth these days have a lot of disrespectful hyenas running around giving principals the finger and stealing old ladies groceries, but it still isn't anyone but the parents decision how and when to punish them. Granted, if he had said "You (blanking) suck" and then stabbed him in the leg with a ice pick, all bets are off.
What are your thoughts? Was the coach wrong for shoving the kid to the ground or did someone need to teach the 11-year-old a lesson? Drop your opinion in the comments.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
10-07-2008 @ 2:39PM
Maveness said...
My question is, how is shoving a kid any better than yelling "You beeping suck"? It's actually reinforcing the behavior. Besides the fact that who the heck DOES that (shoving a kid)?
Now, I know without a doubt that if the kid had said that, the kid's parents would probably be backing him up. Let's face it - in this day and age, there are a lot of kids who aren't taught proper respect for authority. They also learn things from other kids. What the coach *should* have done was get hold of the other team's coach, let him know what was said, have a talk with the parents, and if at that point it was indicated that the parents weren't going to take responsibility, report the kid to the league.
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10-07-2008 @ 5:21PM
Mr. Mann said...
The kid's parents should not try to take it to court, there son is a spoil bum, and to think the parents would let there kid talk like that
10-07-2008 @ 5:54PM
Kim said...
Hey Maveness! Imagine us meeting here for a change? :-)
I agree with your comments completely. As a Mother of an eleven year old son myself, and a ten year old son who is playing Little League Football this year, I would never stand for another adult putting his hands on my child in an aggressive fashion. The coach was out of line (although his anger is understood).
Clearly this particular child in question has not been taught how to treat others, especially adults with respect. That is the parent's issue to deal with in addition to his own coach. Unfortunately like others have stated on here, not all parents teach their children proper values and manners. That's why it's the rest of our jobs to make sure we teach OUR children proper manners and respect. If this had been my child, I would certainly have wanted to be notified of the occurance and I would have certainly dealt with it both in front of his teammates by making him apologize to all who were affected. Then when we got home, a swift swat on the arse would be enforced as well as a grounding and some lessons in proper manners.
I know my son's little league football coach wouldn't stand for any kind of poor sportmanship from players on his team toward other teams/players, and certainly not adults. This eleven year old boy's coach is partially responsible, too. He is clearly not teaching his team about the qaulity of good sportsmanship. What a shame.
Kim
10-08-2008 @ 8:53AM
Bill said...
The little monster's parents are at fault - kid's actions with his garbage mouth is just a reflection of his parents. Football is a tough game - a good hard shove may help the kid (with full equipment on he didn't even feel it)
10-08-2008 @ 2:25PM
Bill said...
The boy was an arrogant jerk. He should have gotten an kick in the butt.
10-07-2008 @ 2:45PM
gregory g. hoover,sr said...
It's about time some grown-up taught this kid some manners. If not his parents [who seem to have done a miserable job so far] then a coach is not a bad choice' even if not his own coach.
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10-07-2008 @ 2:44PM
jim said...
That boy needed a good paddling or be suspended for a least a game. Perhaps 2. Period.
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10-07-2008 @ 6:27PM
JULIE said...
I agree. Apperently the parents are not disiplining this child at home. I don't think the coach should have pushed him but he should not have been behaving this way either. People let their children behave awfully when they are kids and then they say they can't be controled when they are teeneagers. An 11 year old shouldn't be using that kind of language, if the parents would tare his butt up instead of complaining he might have a chance of turning into a decent citizen.
10-09-2008 @ 11:17AM
lordfussy said...
The boy needed a good paddling? What rock have you been living under? Things have changed from the days I was his age when every teacher had a paddle and if that didn't work could threaten to call your father, who would take off his belt and beat your butt red, black, and blue. Nowadays, schools don't paddle, dads go to jail for using a belt, and little Johnny is a foul mouthed hooligan who can't read and walks through a metal detector to enter school, but he has high self esteem. What a crock.
10-07-2008 @ 2:46PM
Steve said...
I would have taken this kid and any other ones close at hand and dragged them by the back of their necks and taken them over to their parents and got in the parents' face and made an issue with them for all to see! Embarrass the hell out of them that their sons are a direct reflection of them and that they're the real problem, not their little fouled mouth babies!!!!!!
I hope if this goes to court that some judge finally has the integrity to reem the parents in open court! Enough is enough!
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10-07-2008 @ 5:23PM
nvdesertdreamer said...
Couldn't agree with you more. Should have embaressed those parents instead of being brought up on assault charges. Course in todays world with all those bleeding heart liberals out there, if the parents would have spanked their well deserving of a spanking boy, they probably would have been arrested.
10-07-2008 @ 7:15PM
Rich said...
Beautiful reply. The kid should be banned from the league. Coaches are not paid and should not suffer disrespect from some undisciplined brat when his parents support his irresponsible actions.
10-07-2008 @ 2:50PM
beverly c said...
i am a football and i see this way to much in our middle school; i tell ya though the coaches take of it; not by shoving but making them run till they think their heart is going to explode.. this happened last week at a football game and they really disrespected me.. telling me to shout my mouth etc and i went to the coaches; i wont put my hands on them but i will make dang sure they are punished.. it is true now adays kids are out of control and need to be actable for their actions and this is how our coaches deal with it. half the 7th grade team went home last week due to vomiting and such cause of their actions and having to run..i dont feel sorry for them..step up and be the young man or women you are cause when you put that uniform on you are representing the team and who you are!!!!!
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10-08-2008 @ 9:17PM
steve said...
You are a football? Wow!
10-08-2008 @ 9:25PM
Jay said...
Pretty articulate - for a football. How do you type without fingers?
10-15-2008 @ 3:22AM
Marie said...
Steve and Jay don't be stupid. Have you never made a typo?
"It takes a village to raise a child." I got swatted for being disrespectful when I was a kid. It let me know when I'd crossed the line. I turned out very well. If I got in trouble with the coach, my parents would have said it served me right for being foul mouthed.
It is kinda ironic that the boy probably got hit a whole lot harder by the other boys; the parents are perfectly okay with his getting the shit knocked out of him in the game; but God forbid that he be knocked down and disciplined by a coach for being an wise ass!
As a society we have gone from one extreme to the other. We protect our children to the point that we have lost our common sense. It is by being made aware that they have crossed a line that children learn fairness and to be good citizens. We are turning out a whole generation of wise asses, both male and female.
10-16-2008 @ 3:47PM
Marie said...
Apparently I stand corrected: the boy was not knocked down but simply grabbed by the helmet to get his attention and given a hey-don't-be-disrespectful shove.
We have so bought into the notion that "we must be gentle, civilized adults" that we have lost sight of the fact that children are naturally uncivilized and must be TRAINED (unwillingly) into civilized adults.
I have come to the conclusion after raising a son that most men know how to deal with boys because they WERE boys. They GET them. They KNOW what young males need. And it's NOT to be babied; sometimes it's to be taken down a peg or two.
10-07-2008 @ 3:01PM
Joe said...
Kids today have little respect for their elders or authority figures. Parents are becoming increasingly lazy and accepting less and less responsibilty for their kids. If a parent can't control their kid, let society do it. That's the trend going on here anyway. Also, a little butt-kicking doesn't hurt kids, just makes them more disciplined and cooperative.
More kids need to be smacked in the mouth!
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10-07-2008 @ 4:31PM
terri said...
how true that is, too bad more people didnt think that way
10-07-2008 @ 3:11PM
nomotigers said...
if i were coaching a game and one of MY players had demonstrated this type of behavior, that kid, would not be playing. if a kid for another team would've demonstrated that type of behavior towards me, i would NOT have pushed the kid but he would've gotten snatched up! Some of yaw know what i mean. i'm from the old skool and you just don't disrespect adults like that!! this kid is learning this stuff in his home!
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