The Associated Press
CORBIN — Police arrested a volunteer football coach after a referee was punched during a game in Corbin.
WYMT-TV in Hazard reported 36-year-old John Green was charged with punching a sports official after the incident Monday during a seventh-grade game between Corbin and Bell County middle schools.
Williamsburg Police Officer Shawn Jackson said he saw Green strike the referee, whom the station did not identify.
Jackson arrested Green.
The officer said several other people started coming onto the field and the situation could have gotten ugly.
Green pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. He’s due again in court in November.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney yet.
As an official, I am once again stunne how things like this happens. I hope the courts see this through and that this coach gets a stiff penalty. Coaches need to teach and coach and allow official to offciate.
Some of the so called “Coaches” should never be allowed a role at the childhood level in sports. As a parent of a child who played football in elementary school I watched a kid have fun while playing and learning fundamentals of the game. Later, as he continued to play in middle school, I witnessed coaches act in a more agressive manner toward those that played. By the time my child reached the high school level there was so much pressure placed on him by the coaching staff, to win, that by the end of his junior year he no longer enjoyed the game. (Example: His grand mother passed away during football season and he missed football practice the day of her funeral. Upon returning to school the coach made him run laps as punishment for having missed a football practice-one of their rules being enforced - you miss practice - you run laps) That is not a positive life experience, especially for a child. By the time this young man entered his senior year in high school he was completely turned off from football. In his senior year he transferred to another school where less emphasis was placed upon winning, and more emphasis was placed upon learning the fundamentals of the game, and enjoying the game. Coaches like those at his former high school, who place winning at all costs, are trying to make a name for themselves at the expense of these children. These young people that play sports in high school, middle school and elementary school should NEVER be placed in a position whereby they are used to promote the record of the coach. Even as seniors in high school, in many aspects, they are still children mentally. If these so called coaches want to place winning the game above everything else they need to make a move to the pro level, and allow these young people to have fun while still learning the game in their early years. So called coaches that conduct themselves as in the article above should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Why are they there to begin with? Certainly not to be positive role models. There is no place for this type behavior in the sports world…. So called coaches that conduct themselves in a manner such as those did my son should be introduced to harsh civil action…. Even today, several years later, as a result of what my son experienced from the so called coaches, my son has no interest in football. (Oh, by the way, because of his size and strength, he had offers from several D-1 Universities to play football at that level). ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…
Some of these so called “Coaches” should never be allowed a role at the childhood level in sports. As a parent of a child who played football from elementary school through high school and witnessed this first hand. Coaches with extreme policies and agressive behavior should never be allowed to work with children. They, for the most part, are using the children to promote thier own records and try to make a name for themselves. So called coaches that conduct themselves as in the article above should be prosecuted. Others should be introduced to civil litigation. They are not role models. They should never be classified as “Coaches”.
Having once been a football official for youth and high school football, it disturbs me greatly to hear of this kind of act against an official. The governing sports body should immediatly and forever prohibit that person from having any further involvement in youth sports. What kind of example has he shown those players? It can’t be allowed to happen again, and I hope the official who was assaulted exhausts all civil remedies against that coach.
As a parent, I am surprised things like this don’t happen more. Don’t get me wrong, I do not condone any type of violence. And I agree Don, Coaches need to be teaching our children sportsmanship, but keep in mind…so are the officials. I have witnessed too many games where the officials are blatantly abusing their authority on the field. What is this teaching our children? Now I’m not saying that all officials are crooked because I have been please with officials even when the game wasn’t in our favor. But don’t be naive to think that all officials are walking the straight and narrow. There needs to be a serious evaluation of the officials code of ethics and officiating abilities and it needs to be soon.
We do have an evaluation from our local assignor. I agree and our problems, officials have a shortage. Most of the games that are worked at the lower levels are from the younger officials getting experience. As far as officials being crooked, I have NEVER witnessed anything on that subject. Even with the most recent NFL issue, that was just human error. Most of the times,fans, coaches etc get high school rules confused with college and the NFL, ruls are differet. I wished they was not, but they are.
Your right, officials are held to a higher standard and have a lot of time to teach sportsmanship. We continue to talk to players while the game is being played.
The video pretty much tells the tale, and from what I could see–the official came running at the coach, who had no choice but to defend himself. The coach even pushed the official back.
I also had two boys who played football in high school. I attended a game one of my sons played in and my other son sat with me in the bleachers. Fans from the opposing side sat behind our team’s bench. They yelled obscenities at the boys through the entire game. They also grabbed their bodies in various locations while yelling these obscenities. Needless to say, when things got heated on the football field, the boys on the bench in front of me responded aggressively. Two of our players were thrown out of the game, but nothing, I mean nothing was done to the opposing team players. I thought this seemed rather harsh knowing what I had witnessed going on behind the bench. After the game, I approached the three referees as they walked off the football field, and I proceeded to tell them who I was, what I had witnessed, and told them that I thought they should know what was happening behind the bench. I did not question their calls, yell, or act in a manner any differently than if I were looking you in the eye telling you this story. After I walked with my youngest son to my car to wait on my oldest son, the referee said, “You bitch.” I thought surely he was not meaning that for me, so I turned around, walked over to his car and said, “Excuse me, were you talking to me?” He said, “Yes.” At that point, I proceeded to tell him exactly what I thought of his attitude and I wanted to know his name because I was going to file a formal complaint regarding the game. He refused to give me his name, so I proceeded to take a pen from my purse and write down his automobile tag number. This lit him up like a light bulb, and his language was atrocious. My youngest son ran to get his big brother because he did not like what that referee was saying to his mother. Needless to say, some fathers came from the game and heard all of this. I did write a letter to the KHSAA, but to my knowledge, this referee was never reprimanded and no apology was made to me. The men who heard this outburst did approach the school officials, and this referee was prohibited from calling any more games in this high school.
I’m not surprised ! I gave up little league baseball when I was a kid and took up bass fishing during my summers partly because I got sick of listening too and watching how the so-called adults acted during the games ! Parents and Coach’s !
And its ridiculous to bring up the term CROOKED REFEREES !!!!!!!!!!!!!! As far as I know there arnt any sports books in VEGAS taking bets on a junior high football game in KENTUCKY ? DAAAAAaaaa ! Its a kids game that’s designed to be fun ! The kids already know this ! Its a shame the adults don’t! 
This NUT coach should be banned for life from youth sports !
CJ-
Three things.
1- The officials are not responsible for what fans are doing behind the bench. That is a game management issue and should be handled by school administration.
2- NEVER approach an official after a game for any reason. Nothing good can come from it. Further, you were not going to accomplish anything by telling them what you saw.
3- The official should not have cursed you. However, if he called you that name, I’d bet a game fee that you were not politely informing them of something you saw. My guess is you were mad and animated. My guess is you were both at fault.
For FBRef, well you are incorrect in your assumptions, and I will explain why.
1. Responsibility is the key here. In any event attended by school age children, all adults have a responsibility to look out for the teenagers best interest. It is also an adult’s responsibility to conduct himself in an adult manner. There is something dreadfully wrong with adult men sitting behind a high school football bench acting in such a juvenile manner.
2. You believe athletic game officials walk on water? They do not have immunity when it comes to students. Any time there is something controversial, they should also be held accountable for their actions. There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with relaying something you have seen to an official. After all, since he is viewed as the person of authority by all who attend the athletic function, it only seems reasonable that he should be made aware of unforeseen events taking place with the players of the teams.
3. Now for your next assumption, I would take you up on that bet you offered, but I had a year’s salary more in mind. Are you game? You would lose!! I did not approach them with anger and I did not raise my voice. As for animation, you are incorrect in that area also. I was raised to be a lady, and that is the manner in which I approached them. It is my belief that when you have to deal with scum that you start at the bottom of the ladder and work your way to the top. I have been fighting those battles all of my life for myself, for my sons, and I will continue to do so for my grandchildren. I suppose you must be one of those who hate to have your authority questioned, and that is the very reason there are little people like me. We love to see that people are protected! The fault here lies with people like yourself who are happy just to remain on the side lines, jump to conclusions about fault, and seek immunity for their actions!!