Parent charged
with striking
soccer coach
By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — A Middletown man was arrested for the unsportsmanlike conduct of attacking a coach during a youth soccer tournament, police said.
Police responded to an incident at the Marlboro Middle School, Route 520, just after 2 p.m. Aug. 24 and later charged spectator John Nolan Jr., 42, with aggravated assault, according to Marlboro Police Capt. Danny Schick. Nolan was released on his own recognizance.
The incident took place during a game at the 15th annual Marlboro Soccer Tournament, which features several age groups and teams from Marlboro and other towns. The contest in question was between two teams of 10-year-old boys — the Wall Raiders and the Hazlet United Metrostars.
Tournament co-director Len Parry said the conflict began after a Hazlet player went down with an injury and Wall coach Thomas Hasko made an insensitive remark about that player.
"He apparently yelled out, ‘Drag the kid off the field so we can get on with the game,’ " Parry said.
Hazlet coach Salvatore Ligouri was restrained from confronting Hasko, Parry said. The referees decided to remedy the situation by giving both coaches red cards, which would have resulted in their immediate ejection from that match and a suspension for their team’s next game.
Hasko was called to the center of the field to receive his red card, but argued the referee against the call, Parry said.
Nolan, who Schick said was the parent of a player, then approached Hasko and struck him in the face, he said.
"The team and the parents were cheering during all of this," Parry said.
Police transported Nolan and Hasko to their Wyncrest Road headquarters. Hasko, of South Belmar, was not charged with a crime.
"He didn’t do anything that was chargeable, but he did something that was rotten," Parry said.
Parry said there have never been any similar incidents of fan violence during the tournament’s 15-year history. The incident has been reported to the Central Jersey Youth Soccer Association and the New Jersey Youth Soccer Association for further examination, he said.
"It’s sad to see where parents lose sight of the fact that they’re teaching children and setting examples for them. This is something we deplore," Parry said.
Coincidentally, Gov. James McGreevey signed a bill dealing with improper conduct at youth sports events into law on Aug. 26. The bill would permit a school board or youth sports organization to establish an athletic code of conduct for all students, coaches, officials and parents of students as a condition of participation in any athletic program.
Any school or team with an athletic code in place would have the authority to ban anyone who violated the code. Violators would only be permitted to return if they completed a sports violence counseling program.