New Conduct Rules Enforced for Staten Island CYO Games After Viral Fight Sparks Outrage
At a glance
• A recent viral video of parents fighting at a Staten Island CYO basketball game sparked borough-wide outrage
• Officials responded by enforcing a harsher code of conduct at all CYO games moving forward
• BP Fossella stressed the importance of keeping the focus on the kids
It’s a familiar scene at a youth sports event: a parent disagrees with a call or is unhappy with their child’s time on the field, or perhaps they are unhappy with another player, and they loudly voice their opinion to the coach or the referee, or even another parent. Things turn heated quickly, interrupting the game, embarrassing the children, and generally causing discomfort all around.
Everyone knows youth sports should be about the kids having fun, but unfortunately there are parents who lose sight of that. Such an incident occurred last month at a Staten Island Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball game, where an argument between spectators erupted into an all-out brawl on the court between two families. The incident, which was caught on camera and posted to social media, went viral, sparking concern and vitriol among parents across Staten Island.
That’s when CYO officials decided this kind of behavior could no longer be tolerated. An example was made of the individuals involved, who are now suspended indefinitely from their children’s games.
Any parent involved in an altercation should expect the same treatment moving forward. CYO officials joined Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella at a press conference this week to announce new conduct rules.
Under the new policy, any parent engaging in misconduct at a CYO sports event will be removed from the game and suspended for a full year. If a second similar situation occurs, they will receive a lifetime ban.
“Every once in a while, there’s a situation that causes people to take a step back and say what happened here? The mission was about the kids. The mission was about teaching them responsibility. The mission was about them having a good time. The kids are the center of this universe, and every once in a while, some spectators get out of control and ruin it for the kids and ruin it for everybody else,” BP Fossella said.
“We hope this is a way to put the focus back where it belongs, on young children having a good time, learning a skill, playing a sport. And I would sort of amplify it to call out to other leagues if they’re willing to collaborate,” he continued, expressing hope that other leagues on Staten Island will follow suit and remove any “bad apples” moving forward.
