Hazing

This past fall (2005) there was an incident that I would like coaching community to give me feed back on. I am an assistant coach on a 3rd-4th grade youth tackle team. I want to be up front an admit now that the head coach and I do not get along. My son played on his team last year (2004) and played on his team this year (2005). I have always tried to respect the head coaches methodology and position by never undermining him. Throughout the season a saw a growing anamosity and dislike of my son by the head coach. Different occurances such as berading and mocking my son were common. In all honesty my son is not joe football. He is a 125lb 4th grade who's coordination has not caught up with his size (much like his father). As the season progressed my son became more resistant to the coaching attempts of the head coach, who wouldn't?

Let me get to the event. After practice one evening another assistant coach, in jest, poked one fo the player's younger brother in the side and when the boy turned to find out who had done it the asst. coach pointed at my son. The child kicked my son in the shin. My son then picked up the boy and threw him down. Now. I punished my son for the incident and we had a long talk about smaller kids and their breakability. By the way the boy was not injured. My son was made to apologize to the boy and I apologized to the boy and his father. We're OK.

Toward the end of the next practice when my son was slow getting up after a play. The HC started yelling at him to get up and then said "No Stay Down I've got something for you" at that point he said come on boys and orchistrated a team pile-on. Two players had the wind knocked out of them , one of them was my son the other was the second one to enter the pile-on. The assistant coach mentioned before came to my son afterwards and told him that this was for the previous days incident.

Now. This ended practice for the day. The next day was spent trying to get my son moved to a different team in our organization.( By the way we were on an undefeated team the other two team options were having dismal seasons)I care more about developing character than winning. My son did come to me an requested that I leave him where he was and let him finish the year with his team mates. I did so at his request.

I 've played many sports under many different coaches throughout my life. I been to the funerals of some of my youth coaches. These men shaped the person that I am today in a positive way. I never experienced anything like this in my time.

Is this productive? Is is acceptable? Opinions?

Sorry about the long story.
I have filed a grievance with my organization and I am still waiting for a responce.