Police in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, have cited a 41-year-old Milwaukee Colts supporter after video captured him stepping onto the field to trip a nine-year-old Case Eagles player during a youth football game.
The Eagles player, wearing No. 88, was running to his left and looked set to cross into the end zone when the father strolled onto the field and wiped him out last week in Racine. Both the parent and the child fell to the ground due to the force of the collision, with the boy seemingly landing on his head.
Mount Pleasant Police said the 41-year-old man had become upset over a play before stepping onto the field. He quickly fled the field after the incident, but officers located and stopped him a short distance away near Case High School.
Officers stated that the man was cooperative, admitted to the act, and acknowledged he was wrong. Police issued him a citation for disorderly conduct and released him from custody.
Head Coach Reaction and Quotes
Channing Schultz, head coach of the Case Eagles, was on vacation when the incident took place and later described the footage as the most cowardly act he had ever seen.
"I was filled with anger, it was disgusting," Schultz told CBS. "It was the most cowardly act I've ever seen."
"For him to just do it with so much intent and he was committed. No words can fix that at all," Schultz added. "The way he kicked my little guy. His leg could've broke. His shin could've broke."
League Sanctions and Upcoming Fixture
The man has been banned from attending youth football games for the rest of the season. Schultz said authorities have not gone far enough and argued that the parent should be banned for life.
The Case Eagles and the Milwaukee Colts are due to meet again in two weeks. Schultz said he wants to ensure his players will be safe, warning that he will consider forfeiting the upcoming match if safety cannot be guaranteed.
Youth football leagues in Wisconsin provide organized competition for young athletes across Racine County. In American football, players score a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone, earning six points for their team.
