*The disturbing viral video of a youth football coach socking a nine-year-old player in the head is now reportedly banned for life by the league and is facing criminal charges.
During the American Youth Football Championships in Kissimmee, Florida, the Savannah Gators – in their yellow jerseys and helmets – approach the sideline after a play. The coach was not happy with his player wearing No. 2.
He slaps him hard in the helmet, knocking him to the ground. Shortly after the player gets up, the coach grabs his helmet and violently shakes it before the child starts crying and runs out of view.
Watch below or view here on Twitter.
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No room in the game for coaches like this. I hope he is arrested and banned for life. pic.twitter.com/1B0F2cLiqH
— Coach Reed (@CoachReed314) December 9, 2020
The video has generated thousands of responses, with folks calling the abuse “absolutely disgusting”, “toxic” behavior and “sickening.”
A since-deleted post from the Savannah Gators’ purported Facebook page responded: “Please keep the negative comments off this page please this organization has great coaches we understand what we all saw yesterday was disturbing to us all but let’s not blame everyone for one mans actions. The organization is not at Nationals we have only 2 age groups a National 7U & 9U with only those coaches of those age groups witch [sic] the guy in the video is our 9U head coach he is a good guy that just took it a little to [sic] far on a 9U player we understand and we are aware of what’s going on and will like to apologize to the #BigPeachConference….”
Below, a screenshot of the now-deleted post:
The coach, who has yet to be identified, apologized in a video posted on the Facebook page of someone named Alexis Cobb, was remorseful only for reprimanding the child in front of people.
He said: “I’mma apologize for my actions about what took place. At the end of the day I am a man and I’m not going to make no excuses for what I did. I was wrong.”
But then he added: “I shouldn’t have disciplined him in public. I should’ve waited till we got back. At the end of the day I apologize to him, the kids, the city and my family back at home. I do apologize.”
He then said no one should be outraged because his parents had forgiven him, adding: “I hope he forgives me and his parents have forgiven me so nobody else should be bashing me.”
Watch below:
According to IBT, It was later revealed that this man has been banned from coaching in the AYF for life and is also facing charges in Florida.
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