Pee wee hockey coach suspended for allegedly punishing players with push-ups
A youth hockey coach in Quebec will have to sit out the rest of this season after forcing his players to do push-ups after a loss.
According to the Montreal Gazette, Lac St-Louis AAA pee-wee team coach Louis Isabella was extremely displeased after his team of 11 and 12-year-olds lost a game 7-2 on Sept. 18. The coach was particularly irked by the bickering from his players during the game, and he responded by allegedly making them do anywhere from 100 to 350 push-ups following the game.
Parents were outraged, as some of the kids were said to have missed school and seek medical assistance the following day. After several complaints, Isabella was suspended indefinitely and called in front of the hockey association's disciplinary committee. On Thursday, they ruled that his tactics were "abusive" and that he should remain suspended until the conclusion of the season in May.
"We weren't in agreement with this approach, he made a mistake in judgment in our view," said Lac St-Louis Midget coach Jon Goyens via CJAD. "Just like players make mistakes, parents makes mistakes, coaches make mistakes."
Isabella will be allowed to return to coaching after the season.
