The two youth

basketball coaches involved in an altercation with a referee after a game

at Spring Hill Elementary School last week have been banned from coaching

the remainder of this season.

As a result,

Jerry Sweeney and Mike Barfield will name a replacement to serve as coach

of the 7- to 8-year-old Grizzlies for the rest of the tournament, said

Carlos Garza, president of the Fayette County Youth Basketball Association.

Sweeney was injured when referee Oliver Louis Wood cut him on the arm

with a three-inch folding pocketknife during a verbal confrontation after

the game, according to police.

The Citizen

also has learned that Barfield was investigated last year for two complaints

about his coaching in the Fayette County Baseball Association. The allegations

were unfounded, the FCBA board determined, and Barfield was allowed to

continue coaching while a board member watched each of his team's last

three games, said association President Charles McCollum.

Minutes after

the incident at the basketball game last week, police arrested Wood, who

was later charged with aggravated assault and bringing a weapon onto school

property.

Wood also has

been forbidden from officiating any games for the rest of the season,

Garza added.

Garza said

the board of directors made the decision last week to "make everyone

feel a little better" about completing the post-season tournament.

There was some

hesitation about banning the coaches, but it was deemed appropriate "since

they were involved in that confrontation," Garza said.

"To dispel

any type of tension, we decided to ban the two from coaching the Grizzlies

for the rest of the season," he said. Garza added that the situation

must first be finalized in court before any final action from the league

can take place.

"We're

just going to have to wait," he said.

Garza confirmed

that after the incident, several people have come forward with complaints

about the coaches.

Garza said

the league does not perform criminal background checks on its volunteer

coaches, a trend that has been growing across the country as violence

begins to creep into youth sports. He added that background checks likely

wouldn't have turned up anything to help prevent this incident, and most

coaches participate because their children also play.

"Sometimes

as parents we take it a little bit too seriously," Garza said, adding

that the focus should instead be on what's best for the kids.

Each coach

in the league must be certified through the National Youth Sports Coaches

Association at an annual clinic, Garza said. During those clinics, the

coaches are taught the things to do and the things not to do, he added.

Garza said

the post-season tournament will continue with games last night and tonight.

After the tournament is finished, the all-star tournament will be conducted,

as players from each team vote three of their teammates to the all-star

squads.