A youth football coach in Pennsylvania is facing a fine of $500 and possible suspension after his team of grade school-age children scored 36 points more than their opponents on Saturday.
The Keystone Sports League, which is for children no older than 7, had ruled that no team was allowed to score greater than 30 points than the other team on the field. Coach Kyle Williams knew that he was dangerously close to breaking the rule as his team of young children already led by 30 but was unable to stop a 5-year-old boy from scoring an additional touchdown. “Less than two minutes left, I called a timeout because I wanted to pull the starters off the field,” said Williams. “I put kids in there who normally never played.”
Williams ran alongside the second-string 5-year-old, encouraging him to tank his scoring opportunity and fall down, but the boy crossed into the end zone anyway. “I have three sons,” the coach said. “I’m not gonna tell my son, especially if he’s running the ball, ‘Don’t go out there and give it your all.'”
A youth football coach faces a possible $500 fine after his team beat an opponent by more than 30 points, violating a league rule. Now the coach’s brother-in-law, a former Philadelphia Eagle, is showing his support. @deannadurante has the story: https://t.co/vdtXSNoCrw pic.twitter.com/dRNJ1jxSYZ
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) October 14, 2019
Williams is also the brother-in-law of former NFL Wide Receiver Torrey Smith, who used his strong social media presence to condemn Keystone Sports League’s rules and the fine Williams is currently facing. “Today’s story of ‘We are building weak children,'” Smith tweeted. “The youth football team in my wife’s hometown had a game today, they won 36-0. They don’t allow you to win by 31 without some type of punishment. The head coach is now suspended for 2 games and fined $500. ARE YOU KIDING ME?” Smith went on to specifically condemn the league rule as not allowing children to play competitively. “The other kids can’t give their all because there is a rule. ‘Work hard but not too hard’ that’s stupid.”
@YouthKeystone is trippin!
1. Kids need to learn how to deal with failure. Don’t want to get smashed? Play better.
2. Life doesn’t let up. When it rains it pours.
3. The other kids can’t give their all because there is a rule. “Work hard but not too hard” that’s stupid.— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) October 12, 2019
Smith went on to note a possible compromise for the league rule saying they could just stop the game if the score got too inflated. “It’s hard to find youth coaches as is but you consider fining a coach $500 an appropriate punishment? If you truly want to have a slaughter rule simply stop the game. How do you coach or play knowing that you can’t score? That’s just stupid.”
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) October 12, 2019
Williams is expected to attend a league hearing about the matter next month, but the president of the Conshohocken Golden Bears executive board supported the league decision. Public support for Williams, however, outweighs those in agreement with the league.
