Travel basketball official hit during fight after basketball game at Triton Central
FAIRLAND, Ind. (WISH) — A fight at the Next Level Classic travel basketball tournament ended with multiple officials ganged up on and at least one struck by a player, all of which was caught on camera.
Randy Lane filmed the video during the Indiana U.S. Amateur Basketball tournament.
His daughter was playing for the Dynasty Sports Performance Heat, a team based out of Owensboro, Kentucky, when he says the opposing team, the Cincinnati Indians Elite, made expletive comments to the referees and his daughter’s team.
“The girls were threatening saying hey why don’t you meet me in the parking lot? Some parents were also, during a basketball play, hollering don’t let her do that to you. ‘F’ her up,” Lane said. “Just getting real chippy.”
There is a clear shot in the video where you can see an official struck during the altercation.
“I was shocked. Naturally, I started recording. I’ve never witnessed anything like that. You never think it’s gonna get that,” Lane said. “It’s a game. It’s just a game.”
Kevin Lewis is the president of the Indiana Officials Association. He says this is an alarming trend for youth sports officials.
“(It’s) very disturbing and needs to be controlled. It’s a trend and it’s getting worse and worse,” Lewis said. “And it’s not only basketball, it’s baseball and other sports too.”
Lewis says he has plans in the works to curb this.
“We’re trying to get it considered to be a felony whenever there is an official attacked or verbally harassed from the time he or she gets out of their vehicle, until the time they go until they building until they leave,” Lewis said.
Lewis adds that parents are often part of the problem between participating in verbal or physical altercations with officials or allowing their children to participate.
It is unclear what will happen to the Cincinnati team. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department has an open investigation.
News 8 reached out to the organizers of the tournament for comment and has not received a response yet.