A youth 7-on-7 football tournament at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa was cut short yesterday after a massive fight.
And that may be understating it!
100 people involved
70 cops from 4 law enforcement agencies responded
Scene cleared after 45 minutes
Police said there were no arrests or injuries reported. Even more amazing — there does not appear to be any video.
The tournament was organized by Red Zone Elite, a national 7-on-7 and flag platform. The organization released a statement that said in part:
The event was isolated to a handful of players from four specific teams, and a large crowd of other players, coaches and parents who were following them around antagonizing further as RZE staff, complex security and PD worked together to break up the crowds.
RZE said it is cooperating with police and that involved parties will face consequences, including potential bans from RZE events and other tournaments in its network.
A youth soccer tournament at the complex was also canceled, but there is no indication any parents or players were involved.
One comment besides the obvious (what the hell is wrong with people?):
Several reports said AAG had off-duty cops working at the complex as security.
This has become commonplace throughout youth sports at events big, medium and small. And it is not cheap — we wrote last April about an organization in Texas that hiked fees over 20% as a result.
And when that is not enough to keep things from going off the rails … what more can you do?
This reiterates the need for increased focus on physical safety - not just compliance - at events that are increasingly becoming larger. Never mind the liability aspect as plaintiffs see deep-pocketed private equity firms behind things.
An example that comes to mind is Go4. While more focused on health and athletic trainers, not law enforcement, they help build Emergency Action Plans for venues, ensure they’re staffed by certified trainers, and even offer injury reporting. I expect to see a lot more in this space as the industry grows up, so to speak.
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