OAKLAND, Maine — A Messalonskee High School student who said he was struck by his football coach during practice was hit so hard that it turned his helmet backward, according to his attorney.
Wes Littlefield, who resigned his coaching position after the Sept. 19 incident at a team practice, is facing a charge of simple assault, a Class D misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Walt McKee, who is the lawyer representing the player and his family, released a synopsis of his version of the event to the Bangor Daily News by email on Tuesday morning. The BDN is not naming the student because he may be the victim of a crime.
According to McKee, Littlefield was agitated and yelling at his players for not knowing how to properly execute a play during practice, at which point the coach struck the player’s helmet “with full force with his open palm,” the email stated.
“The hit was so hard that three of the four buckles that secured the interior of the helmet to the player’s head snapped off, and the helmet completely turned around so that the player could not even see,” McKee wrote. “It was a huge force.”
The player had told Littlefield, “This was the first time we ran the play,” before he was struck, McKee said.
Jason Jabar, Littlefield’s attorney, said that the statements by McKee aren’t consistent with what occurred at practice that day.
“The witnesses I’ve talked to have said that the helmet was not turned around,” Jabar said.
After the alleged hit, McKee said, the coaches on Littlefield’s staff who witnessed the incident did not do anything, and the coach screamed at the player and told him to run a lap.
Later in the practice session, Littlefield approached McKee’s client privately and apologized, the attorney said, and the boy’s parents phoned the coach after their son confided in them about the incident.
“When confronted, Littlefield admitted that there was ‘just a physical altercation,’ and [Littlefield] had ‘lost his cool,’” McKee wrote.
Littlefield had told the boy’s parents he reacted the way he did because “the player mouthed back to me,” according to McKee.
Jabar believes his client wasn’t trying to harm the player, and that he was doing his job as a football coach.
“It was part of what he was doing as a coach and managing his team and instilling discipline which is one of the roles of a coach,” Jabar explained. “To go another step and say let’s prosecute this coach criminally, to me, is going too far.”
Jabar said that should the case go forward, it would send the wrong message to the state’s coaching community.
“If that’s the standard, that sends a scary message to coaches,” Jabar said. “It would be contrary to the history and tradition of coaching, especially football.”
McKee, however, felt that Littlefield could’ve handled the situation in a different manner.
“This is a straight-up assault. It has no place on or off the football field, especially from a coach,” McKee said.
McKee also pointed out a similar incident involving legendary Ohio State University coach Woody Hayes, who punched a Clemson University player during the 1978 Gator Bowl. Hayes never coached after that incident, which led to his firing.
“I’m not sure what Wes Littlefield thought he was teaching that afternoon other than that it is OK to hit someone you are angry with and then pretend it didn’t happen,” the attorney said in explaining that a coach should never strike one of his players no matter the situation.
Jabar hopes that prosecutors won’t continue to pursue the case. However, if they do, an arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 20 in Waterville District Court.
Littlefield had been coaching at Messalonskee since the fall of 2003. Chapin LaBelle, who was one of Littlefield’s assistants at the start of the season, has been coaching the team on an interim basis.
Littlefield owns a gym in Oakland, Littlefield’s Gym.
Seems to me the player risked being ostracized by his peers for making this up. At that age and in that environment peer pressure has an enormous role in shaping decision making. And as member of a football team no less – the player has sacrificed deeply to be a part of that brotherhood. It all points to Wes losing it and hitting the kid in my opinion. Jabars defense is weak and almost an admission of guilt.
And yet Jabar will win before a jury…
Actually he won’t, the guy crossed the line, Mckee’s a great attorney, and the blame the victim crowd here can claim “toughen up” all they want; clearly if they feel this is okay, then their priorities of being more focused on football than the real lessons being taught on that field say it all. Rednecks.
Who are you calling a redneck? YOU could use a little civics lesson. Walt is a great attorney, as is Jason. Walt will not, however, be prosecuting the case. That falls to the district attorney. I am merely stating that in my legal opinion, Jabar’s argument will exonerate his client if he opts for a jury trial. This is not about blame the victim. The legitimate question is whether this contact is the type that normally occurs in practice or not. If jurors find that it was, they will aquit Littlefield.
What is this the Bobby Knight School of coaching? The guy apparently hit the kid in a way that is not acceptable in any situation. I don’t care if he is a winning coach or not, that’s irrelevant. The DA, unless the student drops it, will advance this as it is now much bigger in Public . The guy will end up with a deferred disposition of the case, anger management classes, and will not be hired by any high school to coach because of the potential liability. That is why Mckee did this release. Coaching days are over for him.
Any contact that is not welcomed is assult. Ask any teacher if they can hug a student who needs a hug. There are rules set up to prevent any contact between staff and students. (LAWS AGAINST IT)
It is NOT against the law to hug a student.
One of the worst rules this country ever came up with. Why in god’s name wouldnt a teacher be allowed to hug a troubled student? It is exactly that mentality that has turned this country into a sue happy, holier than though, politically correct country and made it so you are constantly looking over your shoulder to see who is about to throw your azz under the bus.
And damn proud of it Todd, thanks for the comparison. If my being for the old ways of teaching and actually allowing our kids to go out and learn and live life, rather than living it for them and allowing them to go out into the world completely unprepared like a Romney Clone, well I am damn proud to be a Redneck. Thanks very much.
So the student isn’t actually injured? If this is the case.. seems to me more like the student didn’t like being told he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing during a practice. Since when is smacking a helmet an assult? It’s flippin football! What would he have done if he actually played in a game.. sued each and every player on each team? How about we stop making our children think when ever their feelings are hurt its time to sue? I remember when teachers could yell at you and tell you to smarten up and it wasn’t an offense or crime. The world we live in now bus drivers cannot yell at students or stop bullying. Teachers cannot teach now for fear of offense and no one is liable for their own actions when little bobby messes up.. its now anyone elses blame. Blame the teacher if the kid fails a class not the student for not doing his work. What a message we send these days and we wonder why these kids hit adult hood and can’t get or hold jobs. It starts here in the schools. Let’s stop the over sensitivity to everything and anything. Give me a break.
While I am with you in spirit, I have to say that “isn’t actually injured” is not a good benchmark for disciplinary excess.
Actually.. I was stating that no where in the article does it state that the student had anything other than hurt feelings. I wasn’t there. I cannot say what did or did not happen for fact. I just think a smack to the helmut or butt in practice isn’t grounds for an assult charge against a minor with the article being written as is. That is just my opinion.
What is the Definition of Common Assault?
This is any act by which a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend immediate unlawful violence. Such an act must be with the intent being calculated in that persons mind to cause apprehension or fear in the mind of the victim. Therefore, where there is no intent, there will be not be an assault, UNLESS, that the person who assaulted another, ( and it was conclusive by way of evidence), that the person was indeed reckless as to the other person would in all probability have indeed apprehended that immediate unlawful violence would be used.
Common assault and battery are summary offences, which means that the matter may only be tried in a Magistrates Court, and if found guilty have a maximum penalty not exceeding six months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding £5,000.00
However, an offence of common assault ( to include battery ) may be tried on indictment, that is the Crown Court.
Case example:A person throwing a wine bottle at another, and misses, will be an assault.A person who uses a dog as a threat only, being an intention that the dog bite, but does not do so, will be an assault.
What is the Definition of Battery?
Firstly, when assault is included to the term battery, this is defined as an act whereby a person intentionally or recklessly causes the other person to apprehend immediate unlawful personal violence or to sustain unlawful personal violence. Battery is the act of intentionally or recklessly asserting unlawful force to another person.
You do not half to have injuries in an assalt case
I agree to an extent.. the BIGGEST extent is… SO… the player didn’t expect to be hit as hard as an open palm during a football game?
HOWEVER… If in fact, the coach hit him out of anger verses “coaching”, then it’s an entire different issue.
I entirely agree.
Let’s knock off the bravado. I had a varsity coach that never struck a player yet he commanded respect. I would not expect to be “popped” by any red faced teacher or coach at the scholastic level. It’s just unacceptable.
Wes quit awful quick didn’t he? What does that say combined with his post practice apology to the student athlete? It means he knew he was way over the line.
No it means we live is a sh*t society where any little misdeed or comment can be sued upon. Do you not remember when people could be sued for giving people CPR??!!! As the end result of CPR done properly results in cracked ribs. So umm yeah SOMETIMES good people get sued. SOMETIMES no good deed goes unpunished. :) I’m pretty sure if you were being sued you would remove yourself from any situation that has anything to do with your case pending. That’s common sense or have you forgotten also what that looks like?
Uh huh. If I was being accused of something I did not do I can assure you I would have defended myself and my job to the bitter end. Let’s not get personal now. Or will you pop me?
I would like to see how a fully fastened helmet could spin around when popped with an open hand? Let’s talk facts. Have you ever played football or watched any football game in which this has happened? AND if so, without injury?
I say if this coach acted the same way in which he does to this student as he had to every other student.. this may be a case of one overly sensitive player who was more embarassed then allegedly assulted.
Truth be told … if your hit with an open palm and your helmet spins… you probably haven’t fastened it correctly… watch a game, those boys are hit much harder with full body’s… and helmets manage to stay in place… i do not agree with smacking any child for any reason…but being a football mom, my son’s coach is responsible for him on the field… teach him however he needs to leave to shut up.. listen to coach… and keep him safe on and off the field.. my son learn a life’s lesson FROM HIS COACH.. MY SON DOESN’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.. HE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO OTHER AND LEARN…
there is a lady lawyet that will sue a man for looking at a women what she thinks is a sexy way
Did you read my “HOWEVER”?? If in fact a coach normally smacks students in the helmets as part of his normal rallying type routine for hyping players up for practice and game, I have NO problem with that. To disagree with that is like saying it’s assault to tap a player on the shoulder for doing a good job during a game or practice of any sport, or academic accomplishment…..
“HOWEVER” If in fact, the coach hit him out of anger verses “coaching”, then it’s an entire different issue.
That’s not Bravado… It’s rational thinking about normal human behavior.
How many games did any of your teams win? To me its a mentality that breeds toughness. I think the player overreacted and threated to sue the coach, therefore the coach was upset and figured he would save the school some bad publicity and leave.
well said JeffCol
It was not the player that got hit that tru him in. So if you do some thing wrong at work can you boss hit you ? Beside it was the first time that play was run this is not the pros
We’re talking about practice… Not a game.. Not a game.. Practice.
Your So Full Of It!
Based on? Also it would be “you’re” so full of it.
Is there an argument in there somewhere, or just a misspelled insult?
According to McKee, Littlefield was agitated and yelling at his players for not knowing how to properly execute a play during practice, at which point the coach struck the player’s helmet “with full force with his open palm,” the email stated.
“The hit was so hard that three of the four buckles that secured the interior of the helmet to the player’s head snapped off, and the helmet completely turned around so that the player could not even see,” McKee wrote. “It was a huge force.”
The player had told Littlefield, “This was the first time we ran the play,” before he was struck, McKee said
You quote one attorney, but not the other. How about, ‘“The witnesses I’ve talked to have said that the helmet was not turned around,” Jabar said.’ How about the student mouthing off to the coach? Witnesses not quoted here said the student told the coach he wasn’t going to run that bleeping play. (My son attends this school. There are other versions of this story from players who were on the field.) Is it even possible for a helmet to be hit hard enough to break 3 of 4 buckles? If my helmet did that, I’d be shopping for a new one.
Personally I’d like to see this out of control “responsible role model” charged with child endangerment in addition to assault. You can not condone any use of force by an authority figure, pure and simple.
I think the student was playing the wrong sport. He should have been on the girls volley ball team. I’ll bet he cried when he received a hard hit by the opposing team.
Difficult situation.
It may end up in court.
Perhaps attorneys Mary Kellett and Carla Bassanno
can bring some unbiased clarity to it all.
First the coach was off base but grow some nads kid. And I bet the parents have a previous agenda against the coach.
Do you enjoy bullying underaged kids with your coments?..
There is always a better team sitting in the class room refusing to play.
What??
What to say………..hmmm. Well for starters don’t be such a pusssy. Football is a contact sport, plenty of physical coaching taking place in programs all over the US. MAN UP!
I’ve been watching the NFL for many years.. and never once have I ever seen a helmet get turned around from ANYTHING. Ripped off, sure, but not turned around so they can’t see… So now this kid says a coach hitting him on the side of the helmet did what thousands of NFL players have never been able to do??
Not to mention the fact that the shape of a helmet is designed to NOT turn around when force is applied.
This is a bunch of crap.
haha. I thought the same exact thing.
Helmets are also designed not to come off. I have seen helmets come off, turn sideways and all pulled all the way down over a players face. That’s in the pros where equipment is custom tailored. High school kids get whatever comes close to fitting.
I’d like to direct your attention to HiramMaxim’s comment.
OJ’s lawyer said the same thing. I rest my case.
Yeah, because this is the same as murder……..
And, actually, he said “If the glove does NOT fit…” so it’s not really the same thing.
Also, keep in mind: OJ was not found guilty… so, yeah..
You are full of crap. I played football in junior high, highschool and college (Division 1) and never ever have a seen a helmet turned sideways. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE! They can fly off, move up and down but NOT SIDEWAYS.
Anyone who has put on a modern day helmet (Riddel, Schutt, etc.) knows that.
It’s obvious that the boy made this up and the lawyer knows very little about football. A properly fitted helmet, from this era, will NOT turn around sideways. It is impossible.
If I was the coach’s lawyer I would have a defense to the effect of: “If the helmet fits you must acquit” meaning if they have the kids helmet, and it fits properly, then there was no way it turned around sideways which means he was lying about the force of the impact and therefore is not credible.
……so you would prove that this coach is just as innocent as OJ was?
ya high school sports equiptment fits everyone just right as it passed on down through the years from player to player
A helmet is not designed to move left to right. It just can’t happen. They also have these things called “bladders” which can be filled with air to custom fit to each players head. This isn’t advanced technology; They come standard even in highschool helmets.
At the start of the season it is common practice for the player to put a helmet on in front on a staff member (Coach, trainer, nurse, etc.) buckle up the chin strap and then have his face masked grabbed to see how much the helmet moves vertically and laterally. It is acceptable for the helmet to move a little bit north/south it is IMPOSSIBLE for it to move east/west to the point where it would be covering his eyes (i.e. he can’t see). That part was 100% exaggerated. I would be willing to pay money to see anyone be fitted for a helemt and then have that helmet turned as described by the player be means of his helmet being hit.
Impossible.
………IF the proper fitting you claim is standard actually took place for this kid. But I think that’s a pretty big assumption to make and I don’t think you have any evidence to support it.
I’m not really sure what “equiptment” is…
NFL helmets are custom fitted by professionals who are very good at it, but I doubt if that’s the case for most high school players. It’s more like on the first day of practice, with no training about proper helmet fit, a kid grabs one off the shelf that feels comfortable to him and it’s his for the season. If this kid was wearing a poorly fitting or slightly oversized helmet, it could spin around just as he said it did. I haven’t inspected his helmet so don’t know any more than you do about it, but you shouldn’t be making assumptions on how it would behave when hit hard based on the fit of NFL helmets.
There’s NO excuse for any adult to hit a kid, especially on his head, to get his attention or to make a point. You can be very intense and be a successful coach and motivate your players and win games just fine without hitting kids in the head, IF you really know what you’re doing. Too bad this coach had to learn this lesson the hard way but hopefully many others will learn from his mistake.
After the alleged hit, McKee said, the coaches on Littlefield’s staff
who witnessed the incident did not do anything, and the coach screamed
at the player and told him to run a lap. Sounds like a routine practice in the late 60s.
Yeah, didn’t anybody see “Remember the Titans”?
Now that coach, and the coach in “Miracle,” were jerks.
They were hard-asses.. but, they also did very, very well..
If you call making your players run 3 hours of suicides after a game for looking at girls in the stands “doing well,” Herbie should be a Hall of Famer..not
What I meant was *Performing* well.. making something out of nothing.. building character.. winning championships/medals..
Odds are this kid sucked and rather than put in the hard work to become better he cried to mommy and daddy. Now they will get a new coach who will tip-toe around players and make sure this whiny kid gets all the play time he wants.
Sickening.
Littlefield was agitated and yelling at his players …Why do these kids put up with that kind of behavior??? You or I wouldn’t…
Because coaches motivate and discipline their players. Having a happy hug circle does not help win games.
I guess you never played football.
If that would have happened at my school when we were growing up, the players would have taken matters into their own hands. We didn’t put up with abuse
Because football is a game played with high amounts of emotion, it has to be or the players risk injury. I have no idea if this coach was out of line or not as I wasn’t there but growing up playing for over half my life, from the pee wee’s through college I can tell you that having an agitated coach and getting yelled at is not a big deal, it just comes with the territory. As for the assertion that having an aggressive coach is somehow abuse, in some cases I would agree that coaches cross the line but I don’t believe that for the majority of coaches.
What I can say about this incident is that unless the player didn’t have his helmet strapped up there is no way a head slap turned his helmet around backwards. If that were the case I’d have lost my helmet and most likely ended up with much more damage than I did.
My sons both play football and if their coach ever struck one of them there would be hell to pay. A coach should never, ever have to lay a hand on a player to get his point across if he has any talent as a coach. I understand that if a player talks back to a coach, student to a teacher or kid to any other person in a position of authority there should be consequenses, but it does not need to be physical in nature. ( and yes I came from an old school upbringing where parents prescribed to the theory that to spare the rod, spoils the child.)
So what would you do, go and punch the coach? Its painfully obvious you are the type of parent that always interferes with their children playing and run every time they get a boo boo. And we wonder why our kids these days wont roll up their sleeves and work for a living. They have been pampered all their lives and have no idea what living is.
Contrary to your obviously stupid comment, I have never interfered with the coaching of my children. No I would not punch the coach, I would take the steps needed to have he/she removed as a coach. My boys have been taught from day one that their coach is to be given respect, they will listen to his instructions and if they feel that they are not being treated with the level of respect that they desrve to let us know. My boys have been made to understand that football is a rough sport and they will get hurt, their coach is going to yell when he needs to and if they can not tolerate that then the sport is not for them. My point, that you so sorely missed was that it is not acceptable for a coach, teacher or any other person of authority to hit a child. I with my chidren, as my parents were with me feel that to spare the rod, spoils the child, but as a parent I will reserve those judgement calls for my wife and I to make and not grant that to a coach who is a virtual stranger to my family.
Excellent response. I am with you on this. Violence tends to be for those who lack the ability to make a point……….in any other way.
My dad was a Maine high school principal, in a school that had football for many years. This would never have been tolerated in his day!
Coaches, teachers, clergy or any adult in a position of authority do not hit kids.
End of discussion.
If you have never played football before then you probably wouldnt understand the mentality you create and deal with. For those that havnt, comments really dont mean very much. From the first day of double sessions to the final game of my Senior year, football was meant to be tough, a battle of strength and discipline. I remember my first coach, Bob Clukey, telling me to hit him as hard as i could with my pads on, and he wasnt wearing any. It was to prove the toughness of football. I remember bouncing in to him as a gangly freshman and bouncing off and landing on my butt. I also remember my line coach running full speed into the blocking sled, also without pads on, and moving the sled further than three of our players did. Coaches breed toughness that is used by the young players to play the game of football. Its not meant to be mean, to hurt someone, or to bully them. It’s about bringing out the mental toughness that each and every one of us have in us. I have had coaches smack my helmet when i jumped offside asking me where my head was at. I have had coaches come up and push me in the chest and bang on my shoulder pads….Its a way to create a tough attitude amongst the players. Any player that says he doesnt like that type of rah rah, tear his head off, type of mentality, obviously never played football or didnt enjoy it. It’s not for everyone. This coach got excited, and was upset that his players were not disciplined enough to run the play correctly. One player questioned his yelling, which to a coach is like questioning a scientist about the theory of relativity, its really a moot point. He likely smacked the helmet and it wasnt fastened properly.
“The hit was so hard that three of the four buckles that secured the interior of the helmet to the player’s head snapped off, and the helmet completely turned around so that the player could not even see,” McKee wrote. “It was a huge force.”
This is one of the most absurd things i have ever heard. The buckles are not fastened to a person’s head. the only thing that keeps the helmet on a player is the chinstrap. If he smacked the helmet and the chinstraps buttons fell off, then the helmet was likely defective. He probably saved this player a very severe head injury if he had used the helmet in a game. the helmet is designed that it actually is able to turn around on your head. This is because in the course of a game, that can actually happen and you wouldnt want the helmet so tight that it took off someone’s nose as it was moving around. To over glamorize this was completely insane and made the coach look like some super strong person or something. Most of us that play football have joked with our buddies and worn our helmets backwards at some point.
I would love to see if this story doesnt go much deeper. Was this person a starter and then lost his job? Did he take it more seriously than it was meant? Did the parents of the student athlete also get upset because the student lost his position. Many parents take the game way too far as we have seen recently on national news where parents have actually hit coaches, referees and the like.
Finally, ask yourself this question? Mesalonskee has been a great team this season. They won their first four games with this coach? Was he a bad coach if he was producing a winning team? I feel sorry for you coach and i hope and pray you get another chance at another school that wants a coach with heart and wants to win. But please, if you have never played football, save, your so-called analysis for something you know something about…Thanks. I would like to add, that Bob Clukey, was the best coach i ever had in ANY sport. Thanks Coach for making me a better man today.
a better man, because nobody dares tell you different?
Great post Jeff! We obviously played in the same era. What is being touted here as some sort of physical abuse happened everyday at practice when I played. This is really laughable to me. It is clear that in order for the “wussification” of America to continue at full stride, we must continue to vilify football and any other so called “manly” sports. Hockey will be next.
For our kids they’ll have a choice of Cross Country and Soccer. For their parents, and DOZENS of fans, they’ll be lamenting the days of Friday nights and Saturday’s in the fall. What a sucky world we’ve become.
so do coaches hard slap basketball players, hockey players on the side of the head? I bet not.
You were a basketball coach Red. Did your players wear helmets? I’m sure that it hurt the coach’s hand more than the player. Watch the NFL and see all the helmet slapping going on before and during the game. Our coaches were BRUTAL compared to today’s. Nobody dried up and blew away because they were smacked on the helmet or berated by the coaches. My best friend had a clipboard broken over his head and he’s just fine. Then and now. I’ll tell you more if you want to hear it but times were different then. Too bad they’ve changed. For the worse…
I played high school and college. Difference between contact and hitting a kid/abuse. this guy apologized and tried to cover it up/mitigate it
he blew it and is out. Guy sounds like a ticking time bomb. Thank God it happened now, next could be bigger. watching some of these fools think they are in the NFL is a disgrace to all coaches. these kids and I repeat, KIDS should be handled accordingly. They cant touch the kid in the class room, cant on the football field. He knew he was wrong. Fire but dont prosecute. wasting our taxpayers money
This sport will be gone from high schools within 10 years anyway: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-29/news/ct-perspec-0829-football-20120829_1_brain-trauma-high-school-football-brain-injury-research-institute
The kids will all be sitting around texting and playing xbox while we blame the one meal a day at school for the kids being fat. There are risk in most everything we do each day. If you want to save kids…..don’t let them drive a car.
It will be gone in ten years because of a report you read in the Chicago Tribune? I guess I’m not surprised by the source as it’s the most progressive state in the country. This comment reminds me of the scene from Demolition Man when he wakes in the future to find out that red meat, football, kissing, smoking, etc; basically anything that ‘deemed’ not healthy for you is banned. Sounds like a real nice society when others can make those determinations for us doesn’t it….
I hope the kid is OK, I know it must be hard being in school when the kids and the teachers know who you are.. The mental truma alone must be tough.. Hang in there. God Bless.
push the red button you are one of the few that actually make intelligent comments on here. IM GOING TO SAY GOD HELP THE COACH THAT SMACKS MY CHILD!! THE COURTS WILL BE THE LEAST OF HIS WORRIES!!
He is a kid in school and should not be abused by any staff member… But I see a lot of you people enjoy bullying kids. All the adults on here bullying a high school kid. Nice bunch you are.
This kid is a cupcake he should be on the cheering squad.
wow is the legal system ever f***kd up a football coach hits a kids helmet and coach is being blamed… ITS FOOTBALL PEOPLE GTFU
Sad situation for everyone involved, I hope it turns out alright for all parties
Football is a high contact ‘sport’, some would say it was gang warfare over a ball, civilized warfare. It’s all hands, slaps, pushes, shoving, and the coaches set the tone for a team with their promotion of aggressive blocking. ….so a smack on a helmet to illustrate a coaching moment is simply punctuation.
Then there is hockey.What coach would be so insensitive as to injure a player? or is it a lesson on how a smack on the helmet can disorient a player enough to affect their focus? Coaches often ‘fake’ anger, like a Marine drill sargent would….besides, smacking a helmet with a bare hand hurts.
If this was my son I would ask the coach to helmet up and let me son hit him in the same manner he felt he was hit and call it a day..after all coach you did nothing wrong thats out of line with coaching? You was fired,technically and rightfully so! your a thug and I hope you do not have children with a temper like yours…if you do I bet you money you have hit them too!
Reminds me of a time in the mid 70’s when a Machias coach by the name of Dave McGloughlin struck a student in the face on purpose during a basketball practice which resulted in the student sustaining broken bones.
Why cant everyone just be honest? The kid mouthed off to the coach which is never a good thing. The coach reacted and cuffed him in the head. The problem is that the coach connected a little better than he wanted and immediately knew he hit the kid too hard. To say that it knocked the entire helmet around and popped 3 straps is a little much. With that kind of force, the kid not only would have a serious concussion but also a broken neck!
A simple apology should have gone a long way in this case. No need for police and courts to get involved. Both parties are at fault here. The kid should have kept his mouth shut and the coach should have known who he was dealing and not lost his cool!
I’m sure former Waterville QB and 1992 Shrine Bowl Participant Jason Jabar will win this case in the end…