The coach of a Providence, Rhode Island youth football program has been fired for allowing an 18-year old to play in a game against kids aged 13-14 years old.
According to reports, the 18-year old dude, an older brother of one of the players, put on his helmet and pads at halftime after the Capital City Buccaneers fell behind in a game against the Tri Town Titans. Parents on the sidelines were quick to notice that the man, who has tattoos and a beard, was clearly over the age of 13 and he was ejected after taking part in several plays.
"I could zoom right in and see the facial hair," said Kevin Stockwell. "You know most 13-year-olds are starting to get facial hair. This gentleman had facial hair and had arm tattoos."
“I was more furious and embarrassed and ashamed that they did that,” Buccaneers founder Alexandra Diaz told NBC 10 News. “The coach told me it was his decision. It was his mistake. He feels sorry.”
“If I was there, that would never ever happen because safety of these kids is more important to me than anything. That's not how I run my program,” Diaz said. “It hurts me, it hurts the community, (and) it hurts the children because a lot has been ripped from them.”
“It's pretty serious,” Pedro [President of the opposing Tri Town Titans] told NBC 10. “It's basically a grown man going up against seventh and eighth graders -- 13 and 14 years old. We're certainly extremely concerned when a child could have easily gotten hurt if we hadn't recognized it pretty quickly.”
Alexandra Diaz ultimately fired the coach and ended the team's season, which sucks for all of the kids on the team who were actually supposed to be on the field.
