A hockey game between 10-year-old kids ended with multiple injuries — not suffered by players or coaches — but among drunken parents brawling in the stands on Saturday.
Alcohol was likely a “large” factor, police say.
According to a statement from one of the teams, the New Western Bruins, tensions among spectators began to simmer during the game when parents began “chirping” at each other.
A fight broke out between parents at Osoyoos' Sun Bowl Arena Saturday. (Screengrab: Google Streetview)
The “verbal jousting” in the stands turned violent after a mother was hit in the face after she stepped in to intervene. The game was over, coaches and players were in their locker rooms, when the clash broke out.
RCMP Cpl. Jason Bayda told CBC News officers were called to Sun Bowl Arena after receiving multiple reports of adults fighting in the stands.
When officers arrived, six adults were grappling with each other with a crowd of spectators around them, yelling.
“It was quite a scene," Bayda told the broadcaster. "You hear about these things happening 20 or 30 years ago … to see it happening now, in 2016, it's unacceptable."
The woman who was hit in the face suffered a “severe” injury, a broken nose. She was reportedly inadvertently hit by her own husband in the melee.
“It was quite a scene.”
Coaches from both teams “played an important part” in breaking up the fight and preventing it from escalating, according to a statement from the other team that played.
An investigation revealed the parents involved were staying at a nearby resort and had been “consuming liquor throughout the day” before the game.
“It is unfortunate that these young children had to witness their parents act in such an immature way,” Osoyoos RCMP said in an email.
None of the players were in the stands at the time the fight broke out.
Avoidable scenario
BC Interior Stars AAA Hockey Club issued a statement Wednesday apologizing to event organizers and condemned the conduct of parents who chose to get violent at their child’s hockey game.
“Although the aggressors were identified as being parents from the other team, the situation could have been avoided if everybody, including our parents that were involved, simply just walked away,” the team said.
“We hope everyone involved has learned from their actions and that it never happens again.”
An investigation has been wrapped by police. No charges will be laid.
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