Video Shows Coach Shoving Young Player; Parents Upset

KSDK -- Parents of an 11 year old are outraged after the boy was allegedly shoved by the coach of an opposing football team. The incident was captured on videotape.

Wesley Deavenport, 11, was not harmed in the incident. But his father says it is nothing short of poor sportsmanship and assault on a minor.

It happened in the High 5 post-game reception line, after a club football game in the Park-Rock Football Association Saturday morning.

Joe Deavenport says after a particularly contentious game, one of the other team's coaches shoved the face-mask of his son, knocking him out of the reception line.

After Wesley's team coaches realized a sport videographer captured the moment on videotape, they called the police.

"There's no question, it is assault," Deavenport said. "It's assault to a minor and I've already spent time with police discussing this situation.

"This grown man approaches him and physically and forcefully pushes him, hits him in the head and my son had no idea why that was happening, how that could be happening, and here he is in a safe zone, a fun sport, and this guy really affected him, emotionally.

"It sounds as though his hand hit right at the point of the face mask and the top of the helmet. And it was enough force to make him almost fall down, backwards. If you see him, he's grasping as he's falling backwards, trying to hold himself up, and regain balance."

NewsChannel 5 spoke to the coach viewed on the videotape. We are not identifying him, because he has not been charged. He says that action viewed on videotape was justified by some of the events that happened during the game. There were referees in attendance.

Chesterfield police are investigating. Whatever they decide will be forwarded to prosecutors, Monday.

The Park-Rock Football Association is a club; it has no formal affiliation with either Parkway or Rockwood School Districts.

Coordinator Steve Russel says club officials are meeting Monday, to consider what happened Saturday.