TR Parent Attacks Coach – Are Youth Sports Going too Far?

The father of a player for Toms River youth Indians football allegedly attacked the coach of the team on Sunday night at High School North.

According to police via APP, the parent, Joseph Oleske, 46, of Toms River, was arrested and charged with simple assault. He was released on his own recognizance pending a later court date and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, according to police.

At 7:29 p.m. Sunday, police went to Toms River High School North to investigate a reported fight at the football game, according to police. After arriving, they determined that there was an altercation between a coach and a parent.

I played baseball when I was younger and there were loud and disruptive parents, but physicality never entered the picture.

Should kids learn about their game and respectful competition? Absolutely. However, it's becoming more and more common for parents to treat youth sports as career sports. Thus, sucking all of the FUN out of the game. Oh yeah, that three letter word that few seem to consider when it comes to youth sports in the first place - it's supposed to be fun!

Obviously, there is more to this story, which I'm sure we'll learn more about. How bad does a situation have to get before a season is cancelled for bad sportsmanship? What example does it set for the kids to see their coach and another parent brawling on the ground?

TELL US! Have you experienced this type of behavior at your child's youth sports activities? How is it handled? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Here's more on the incident from Sunday night:

The 45-year-old male coach of the Toms River Indians reported that he was physically assaulted by Oleske, according to police. The coach stated that after the game against the Toms River Junior Raiders, Oleske ran across the field towards him and then tackled him without any provocation or warning. The two men then fought on the ground until bystanders broke them apart, according to police.

Oleske has a son on the Indians team and he was in the broadcast booth videotaping the players during the game, according to police. After the game, he found out that the coach told the players to turn in their equipment and the season would be over due to their reported ongoing bad attitudes.

Oleske stated that he only went to talk to the coach about his comments to the players and acted in self-defense when the coach “took an aggressive stance.” The coach admitted that he told the players the season was over as a discipline measure for poor sportsmanship and bad attitudes, according to police.