With spring upon us and summer a mere month away, parents are already shuttling their children from one sporting event to another. Little leagues and soccer teams have sprung up across the country, giving kids a chance to learn about cooperation and sportsmanship, not to mention giving them a bit of exercise as well. However, for some kids, and even their parents and coaches, these activities can also spur a competitiveness and aggression that typically lays dormant.<\/p>\n
In one explosive incident in the United Kingdom, the coach of a youth soccer team let these sentiments get the better of him, and directed his frustration toward a parent who was trying to calm him down.\u00a0The Suffolk Free Press<\/a>\u00a0– a local news outlet – reported that 39-year-old Mark Copping had been arguing with referees and the parents from an opposing team over a\u00a0ruling in March when Paul Dunlop – whose son played on Copping’s side – questioned whether the coach would have been able to see the play in question.<\/p>\n A verbal altercation broke out between the two, and Copping eventually punched Dunlop in the face. The father was taken to a local hospital where he received several stitches.<\/p>\n After the incident, Copping was let go from his position, and his lawyer told a presiding court that he had stopped attending matches and was enrolled in\u00a0anger management classes<\/a>\u00a0to prevent such an incident from happening again. Copping was sentenced to six years in prison for the assault this week.<\/p>\n