This comment came after a winning goal scored from a tight offside decision in my U12 Academy game yesterday (I think it was offside, but with no ARs/CARs and an obstructed view I just couldn't give it).
With the obvious issue of cards being actively discouraged in academy games, I explained to the player that what he had said wasn't acceptable and that if it wasn't an academy game he would have been dismissed, before asking his very unhappy coach, who told me I needed to lighten up, to substitute him. For me, use of the word "c**t" or calling me or one of my assistants a cheat or otherwise questioning my integrity will always result in a dismissal, regardless of the age of the player.
The player's Dad, who had been stood too far away to hear what had gone on, came over to me in the car park to ask what had happened and after I explained he apologised and said he'd make sure his son understood it was wrong. Even better than that, he then asked me to hold on a couple of minutes and brought his son off the pitch to come and apologise to me. I know there's a wider debate on sanctions for youth players that I won't go into again, but I thought this was an interesting example of when treating them as adults works - there's no way the player will do that again. Ultimately, we're there to educate at that age and by ignoring the comment because he was young I wouldn't have been doing my job.
With the obvious issue of cards being actively discouraged in academy games, I explained to the player that what he had said wasn't acceptable and that if it wasn't an academy game he would have been dismissed, before asking his very unhappy coach, who told me I needed to lighten up, to substitute him. For me, use of the word "c**t" or calling me or one of my assistants a cheat or otherwise questioning my integrity will always result in a dismissal, regardless of the age of the player.
The player's Dad, who had been stood too far away to hear what had gone on, came over to me in the car park to ask what had happened and after I explained he apologised and said he'd make sure his son understood it was wrong. Even better than that, he then asked me to hold on a couple of minutes and brought his son off the pitch to come and apologise to me. I know there's a wider debate on sanctions for youth players that I won't go into again, but I thought this was an interesting example of when treating them as adults works - there's no way the player will do that again. Ultimately, we're there to educate at that age and by ignoring the comment because he was young I wouldn't have been doing my job.