High school sports might just be the wildest and wackiest level of athletics. Where else do you hear horror stories of coaches choking out fellow coaches for not playing their sons or fathers leaping into action and attacking a wrestler for an illegal move? You just can't make this stuff up.
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Most of the harrowing headlines and videos that surface involve a deranged parent or coach acting in the wrong. What's less common is a teenage athlete — make that four teenage athletes — beating the snot out of their own coach.
A disturbing video captured four players on a New Jersey high school junior varsity basketball team punching and kicking their own basketball coach after a game on Tuesday night, according to NJ.com.
For more than 20 seconds, four JV players from Malcolm X. Shabazz High School in Newark attacked their high school basketball coach after getting off the bus following their return from a basketball game in Livingston Tuesday night, per WABC. The news outlet reported the attack began after the coach attempted to stop players from bullying another player.
Once the coach fell to the ground, his own players swung their fists at him and kicked the defenseless coach until they were forced off of him. The video has circulated on social media in the days since.
You can hear one person say, "They're about to jump the basketball coach," and another toward the end of the attack yell, "Chill! Chill! Chill!"
New York's WABC shared the edited video on their Twitter account @ABC7NY:
High School Basketball Coach Attacked by Players
Disturbing video out of Newark, NJ where a high school basketball coach was attacked by his own players. Police are working to identify the suspects. (Sharing recut video due to offensive language) Live report on Eyewitness News and updates here: https://t.co/ASc7PagSOp pic.twitter.com/5elHx2ujQo
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 6, 2020
The JV coach, whose name has not been released, declined medical attention.
According to NJ.com, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka visited the high school on Thursday following the attack to talk with school officials, coaches and players. The involved members of the team were identified and immediately suspended.
"We support the superintendent and principal and will do what we can to make the rest of the year successful," Baraka told NJ.com. "The actions of these students will not be tolerated. It does not represent the majority of the school. The school and team have great kids. Many of them go on to college and on to do great things."
The attack is clearly assault on the junior varsity basketball coach, and detectives are still working to charge the individuals involved. However, since they are minors their names cannot be released. No arrests have been made yet.
"Our detectives are investigating this incident to identify and to appropriately charge those individuals involved," Newark public safety director Anthony Ambrose told WABC. "Because high school students are typically juveniles, the names of the suspects will not be released. But those found to have participated in this senseless act of violence will face criminal charges."
Embarrassing and gross are about the only words I can use to describe this attack, especially considering the coach was defending a player being bullied.
