Three Pop Warner Teams expelled from Disney

[crazy4wdw]

From Orlando's Channel 13:

Kids Thrown Out Of Disney
Monday, December 10, 2007 12:02:09 AM

A group of young athletes was kicked out of Walt Disney World in the middle of the night Saturday.

Disney made the decision to kick out three teams participating in the Pop Warner Super Bowl competition -- two from Hawaii and one from Baltimore -- because of a fight between some of their athletes.

According to Disney, the policy written for group packages states everyone will be forced to leave even if one member of the party is involved in a violent act on property.

However, parents said the way they were treated just wasn't right.

"They could have handled it so much better, you know? They really could have. They could have said look you know what? Fine, you guys have to leave in the morning. Then our babies. We have one year old, two year old, three year olds, that we had to just jerk out of bed and they were just crying. You know it was just a bad scene. It was really a bad scene," said Labryanna Kubo, a parent traveling with the Hawaii team.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the incident.

 

[precious pixie]

I cant blame Disney for kicking out the teams and I guess I would need more details to know if in my opinion it could have waited until morning. A large group of angry teens is for sure a risk to other guests.

 

[MassJester]

Angry parents? Where were they when the kids were misbehaving?

 

[minnie61650]

Angry parents? Where were they when the kids were misbehaving?

I agree.

I also think Disney was correct to ask them to leave as soon as possible before there was time for things to get worse.

Hopefully the other teams, the parents, the chaperons, and all of the Pop Warner coaches will learn that Disney is serious about their policy and will keep a better eye and a tighter reign on the students in the future.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[DeadHead]

It's about time! If more groups hear about the zero tolerance concerning bad behavior you won't have so many post about the horrors of Pop Warner week.
Good for Disney!

 

[DVCDAVE]

I wish more places acted like Disney, and hold everyone responsible, ESPECIALLY the parents

 

[GrandAdmiralStrife]

Its about time.

Yes, you paid good money to go; but guess what? You are GUESTS. That means there's an expectation by the company that the GUESTS will be well-behaved. What do you want them to do, as parents? Just kick out the offending kids, and split the families up? It's YOUR kids, take some responsibility for them!

 

[Lilolvr]

I agree.

I also think Disney was correct to ask them to leave as soon as possible before there was time for things to get worse.

Hopefully the other teams, the parents, the chaperons, and all of the Pop Warner coaches will learn that Disney is serious about their policy and will keep a better eye and a tighter reign on the students in the future.

Just my 2 cents.

Amen to that!

 

[Lewisc]

Disney expelled the entire group, even if only one participant misbehaved. I agree with what Disney did but it's possible many of the angry parents weren't anywhere near the kids that misbehaved.

Angry parents? Where were they when the kids were misbehaving?

 

[frayedend]

It sounds as if some families were made to leave that weren't any where near the fight, but happened to have kids on the team. If they made families leave in the middle of the night that had young kids there, simply because they were part of the package that is darn wrong. Especially since Disney forces the pop warner people to be "part of the package" or they can't participate. Obviously I may be missing some of the details, but the way it reads, it's just plain wrong.

 

[mitros]

Fantastic! Now they need to work on some of those cheerleading groups and the Brazilians. Those of us that have been around disboards for a while know of what I speak.......

 

[rwdavis2]

It sounds as if some families were made to leave that weren't any where near the fight, but happened to have kids on the team. If they made families leave in the middle of the night that had young kids there, simply because they were part of the package that is darn wrong. Especially since Disney forces the pop warner people to be "part of the package" or they can't participate. Obviously I may be missing some of the details, but the way it reads, it's just plain wrong.

I'm sure that part of the reason that all members of the team have to be part of the package is to make sure that everyone polices themselves and take responsibility for each other. From all I've read the adults that chaperoned these groups took NO responsibility for keeping the kids in line. I suggest you see the other thread on the Community Board and the huge one over at wdwmagic and you may get a different perspective.
Bob

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . From all I've read the adults that chaperoned these groups took NO responsibility for keeping the kids in line . . .

1) Adults who accompany Pop Warner ARE NOT chaperons.
2) They merely accompany the kids as guides/coordinators.
3) Thus, they are not responsible for the actions of the kids.
4) This has been one of the problems all along.
5) WDW does not require chaperons for group events, just coordinators.

 

[minnie61650]

It sounds as if some families were made to leave that weren't any where near the fight, but happened to have kids on the team. If they made families leave in the middle of the night that had young kids there, simply because they were part of the package that is darn wrong. Especially since Disney forces the pop warner people to be "part of the package" or they can't participate. Obviously I may be missing some of the details, but the way it reads, it's just plain wrong.

Apparenty there were more than just a few kids involved. This newpaper report says an emergency call was placed about a possible "riot" involving "80 to 100 people."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.patriots13dec13,0,3359955.story

baltimoresun.com
Fight stains football title
Pop Warner officials to look into brawl between Westport, Hawaii teams in Fla.
By Lynn Anderson
Sun reporter
December 13, 2007

Baltimore's Westport Patriots - a football team made up of youths 12 to 15 years old from some of the city's toughest neighborhoods - took first place in their division in the Pop Warner Super Bowl Championship in Florida last weekend.

But hours after the game, the Baltimore boys say they were verbally harassed by players from Hawaii. A fight ensued, and before the night was over the Westport team - as well as two teams from Hawaii - were ejected from Disney's All-Star Resort.

It was a chaotic scene, according to local sheriff's deputies who took "conflicting statements" from members of the three teams and, as a result, have declined to file charges.

Parents of Hawaii youths blame the Baltimore team for being "aggressive" and allege that an adult associated with the team "egged on" boys who were brawling.

Pop Warner officials said yesterday that they will try to find the truth. Sanctions, they said, could follow.

"We will have an investigation and a set of hearings and, if there is going to be any sort of punishment, it will be determined at those hearings," said Sam Mutz, national football commissioner for Pop Warner Football, which has its headquarters near Philadelphia. "The punishment will be from here forward, rather than taking away something that a team won in the past."

Mutz said that since the hearings will involve two teams from Hawaii - the Kahalu'u He'eia Broncos and the Wai'anae Tigers - they will probably be conducted by telephone. However, he said, coaches and team members could also be called to Pop Warner headquarters to describe events to a panel of national and regional youth football officials.

"There have been other incidents and we have taken care of them through similar hearings," Mutz said.

Typically, teams that violate the organization's rules are suspended from play or put on probation for a period of time, Mutz said.

For the Westport Patriots, who were undefeated going into the championship, the fight has soured the win in Florida. On Friday, the team defeated the Sarasota Suncoast Buccaneers 27-8 in a game that was described in a local newspaper as a "lesson in humility" for the Florida team.

Montie Williams, one of the Baltimore team's coaches, called the fight "a small thing" and said that he hated to see media outlets focus on it instead of the team's big win. Florida newspapers and television stations have covered the fight, as has the Honolulu Advertiser.

"It's unfortunate that it had to happen like this," said Williams. "It's getting me down. We work hard to keep these kids out of trouble and now this one moment is going to dominate the entire season."

Williams said the fight started when two Hawaii youths made some rude comments to four Baltimore youths. When more boys from the Hawaii teams showed up to join the fight, the Baltimore team members ran back toward adults they knew would help, Williams said.

"Our boys were celebrating [their win] and the [Hawaiian] guys didn't take too good to that and that's how it all kicked off," said Williams.

Parents of Hawaii team members said the fight started with some pushing and shoving and escalated into four members of the Baltimore Patriots jumping a member of the Kahalu'u He'eia Broncos near a concessions stand. They said that an adult chaperone of the Patriots team was "egging" on the youths and might have hit some of the Hawaiian players.

"We don't know who the adult was; we were never able to sort things out," said Ward Kubo, whose son Ford is a wide receiver for the Broncos. "A fist fight between boys, we can shrug that off, but when an adult is involved, that is when I get upset."

Apparently this is not the first time there has been trouble at the Pop Warner Super Bowl. In September, a memo went out to all teams reminding them that the super bowl championship would attract many media outlets and that they had a "duty to make sure that ALL of the people at events represent Pop Warner appropriately."

The memo goes on to state that there have been "serious behavior problems" at past super bowls and that "such problems have not been tolerated in the past, and certainly will not be tolerated this year." The memo also reminds participants that those involved in a fight or other altercation risk "forfeiting hotel and other deposits."

A spokesman for Walt Disney World said yesterday that it is the corporation's policy to immediately eject guests who are acting in a violent matter - no matter what time of day or night. Spokesman Jacob DiPietre said the policy is meant to protect other guests from possible injury.

He said hotel security received a call about a "disturbance" in the All-Star Resort's arcade area about 11:45 p.m. Friday. Local sheriff's officials were also called to the scene and remained there to take statements from witnesses and to make sure that the three teams complied with hotel management's request to vacate their rooms immediately.

A spokeswoman for the Osceola Sheriff's Department said that deputies arrived at the hotel about midnight and spent several hours trying to figure out how the fight started. She said that the initial emergency call was for a possible "riot" involving "80 to 100 people."

"Our deputies spoke with members of the three teams and almost all of them gave conflicting statements," said Twis Lizasuain, the sheriff's spokeswoman.

As a result, no charges were filed and the report was taken for information only, said Lizasuain. She confirmed that a Hawaii team member was injured and that he had been discharged from a hospital by the time a deputy arrived to take his statement.

 

[JimB.]

1) Adults who accompany Pop Warner ARE NOT chaperons.
2) They merely accompany the kids as guides/coordinators.
3) Thus, they are not responsible for the actions of the kids.

Ummmmm. No.


If the Parents are there, They Are Responsible For The Actions Of The Kids, regardless of organization or circumstances. To imply otherwise is silly. If you use this logic, then the parent has no say over the kid on these trips.

 

[mitros]

Ummmmm. No.


If the Parents are there, They Are Responsible For The Actions Of The Kids, regardless of organization or circumstances. To imply otherwise is silly. If you use this logic, then the parent has no say over the kid on these trips.

Thank you! My thoughts Exactly!

 

[gmboy95]

The coaches of each of these teams should be banned from pop warner competition for life....coaches are leaders of their teams and should assume responsibility for their behavior on such a trip...making excuses and assesing blame in this case is inexcusable....the coaches should make the following statement...."this behavior is inexcusable, and our players and coaches have brought shame to their individual communities. we shall forfeit any games we have won, and hope the fine people of Disney will find it in their hearts to forgive....Our players will not don this uniform again until they display a sound understanding of what it is like to act as a sportman and a gentleman!!"

 

[Uncleromulus]

Good for Disney!!!

 

[fitzperry]

The coaches of each of these teams should be banned from pop warner competition for life....coaches are leaders of their teams and should assume responsibility for their behavior on such a trip...making excuses and assesing blame in this case is inexcusable....the coaches should make the following statement...."this behavior is inexcusable, and our players and coaches have brought shame to their individual communities. we shall forfeit any games we have won, and hope the fine people of Disney will find it in their hearts to forgive....Our players will not don this uniform again until they display a sound understanding of what it is like to act as a sportman and a gentleman!!"

Wow. That's pretty harsh. And the irony of such a comment coming from a Patriots fan is almost too much to bear.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I was there at All Star Sports when this occurred. I was not there with any PW group, just as a traveller on vacation who happened to be at the same resort as the PW groups.

It all happened without me knowing very much about it .. in fact, it did not impact my stay in any way, shape or form.

I completely agree that Disney did the right thing in this instance and handled it exactly as they should have.

It has been 'overblown' on the internet a bit however. There really was almost no impact unless you were physically present at the arcade or at the front desk area around 1am on the night it all went down.

Knox