A Saturday youth football game between 8-year-old teams in Winter Haven turned into an all-adult brawl, and it happened right next to a Sheriff's Office substation. Polk County deputies are now looking into whether parents betting on the game sparked it.
- The matchup: The Winter Haven Tigers hosted the Plant City Colts at an athletic field next to the Polk County Sheriff's Office Central Substation.
- The spark: A parent struck the Plant City coach in the head, which set off a full brawl in the crowd before law enforcement broke it up.
- The rumor: Deputies were told the fight may have started over parents gambling on the game. Investigators say they don't have video or proof of any betting.
- The arrests: None so far. Authorities haven't pinned down who started it.
- The charges: Once instigators are identified, investigators plan to file misdemeanor affray or disorderly conduct charges. Gambling charges could follow if evidence turns up.
Let's take a moment to appreciate the location. The fight went down on a field adjacent to a sheriff's substation. The response time was presumably excellent. The judgment call was not.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said parents are supposed to model good behavior for kids, not the opposite. He also made clear that deputies are willing to work undercover at youth sporting events to catch illegal betting, and that anyone caught will be arrested quickly. So if your sideline side hustle involves a Venmo request and an 8-year-old's third-down conversion, consider this your sign.
To be clear, the gambling angle is still only a claim. Investigators haven't confirmed it, and the one confirmed fact is that an adult hit a coach in the head at a game for second and third graders.
The details come from FOX 13's Carla Bayron, who spoke with Judd and drew on statements from the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Source: AOL.com