There are new rules for parents and fans who go to events sponsored by the Catholic Youth Organization after a fight broke out between two moms at an elementary school basketball game.
The fight caught on camera shows one mom approach another at an elementary kids basketball game last month.
The video, obtained by the Staten Island Advance and confirmed by Catholic Youth Organization sports officials shows the moms go head-to-head in an all-out fist fight. More spectators join in, some continuing the brawl while others tried to break it up.
Now, in large part because of the fight, CYO sports is announcing a policy change.
“The CYO is no longer gonna tolerate fights that just ruin it and crush it for kids,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said.
Fossella announced new guidelines for the dozens of locations that host CYO sports across Staten Island. If a spectator is removed by a referee for any reason they will now be banned from all games for a year. If they’re warned twice or are engage in a physical fight, they will be banned for life.
“There were kids on the court crying because they didn’t know what was happening, the game had to come to an end and these kids suffer,” said Fossella.
CYO sports officials say that while “bad behavior” comes from a small percentage of parents, in recent years, it’s become harder to recruit referees and coaches for the roughly 4,000 students who participate in CYO sports teams.
Parents outside St. Teresa’s where the December brawl happened agree with the changes, many hoping the focus will return to the young athletes.
“Yeah, you get passionate over your kid, but you know there’s a time and place for those,” mom Katherine said.
The families involved in the December brawl have been banned from all CYO sporting events indefinitely. Officials hope that sends a message to the community that this type of bad behavior won’t be tolerated.