Youth sports are supposed to be about teaching fundamentals and fostering a love for the game, but sometimes parents can take things far too seriously. One soccer parent crossed the line and then some when he allegedly beat coach Vince Villanueva during a game at George Hellwig Memorial Park in Manassas, Va. on Saturday.
According to News4, Blerand Hoxha was charged with malicious wounding after allegedly attacking Villanueva with a metal water bottle.
Villanueva normally coaches the Potomac Senior High School girls and youth teams, but he was filling in for another coach at a boys game on Saturday. Villanueva said the incident began when he noticed an apparently distraught player talking to a parent on the sideline.
When Villanueva approached the player, he says the parent pulled him off to the side before suddenly beating him with a water bottle.
"As I was turning to talk to the father, the next thing I know, I was on the ground, and then I heard like a ding noise, and I realized I was getting hit in the head with a water bottle," Villanueva told News4.
From there, chaos ensued as some parents went to pull kids off the field and others came to Villanueva's aid. Ultimately, Villanueva suffered a fractured orbital bone and significant bruising on his face.
"I saw parents running around, grabbing kids. There was a sense of panic all over the place. I saw people coming up to me," Villanueva said.
Villanueva has coached soccer in some capacity since he was 18, but he is now questioning whether he wants to continue after suffering a fractured orbital bone and numerous bruise
"Seeing the escalation of violence toward coaches and game officials and stuff like that within these sports -- I'm still processing thinking about, is this something that I want to continue doing?" Villanueva said.
