Coach accused of punching ref bonds out

WEST PARK, Fla. (WSVN) -- A youth football coach caught on camera hitting a referee has bonded out of jail.

Dion Robinson, 43, posted his bond and walked out of jail Tuesday without making a comment to waiting media. He was arrested Monday on charges of battery on a sports official. The man has a criminal record, so many are trying to figure out how he managed to become a coach.

The Broward Sheriff's Office arrested Robinson late Monday afternoon. The incident was caught on camera during a game between the West Park Saints and Miramar Patriots in Broward, on Saturday. The video evidence was quickly uploaded to YouTube. Soon after, police went looking for Robinson.

Now, the Miami-Dade Extreme Youth Football League is considering kicking the West Park Saints out of the league in light of these new events. The referees ended the game after the altercation, but Robinson had fled the scene.

Referee Andrew Keigans told police the attack happened after he called an unsportsmanlike penalty against the Saints because Robinson, one of the team's the assistant coaches, made a derogatory comment from the sidelines.

"It's 8 - 6," said Keigans of the score. "West Park is losing to West Miramar, and then one of the assistant coaches yells, 'Oh, not only do we have to beat (expletive) Miramar, we gotta beat the (expletive) referees,' so I flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct. He shouldn't be talking like that around the kids."

Other coaches from the Saints said the referee started it by aggressively moving another player out of his way. "He physically moved the 10-year-old out of his way," said Head Coach Antonio Lane. "That's what stemmed the situation."

"I turned around to report my foul," said Keigans, "And that's when I bumped into the little kid, and that's when I heard from the stands, 'He pushed the kid!' and that's when the whole mob scene started."

Tellas Robinson, another assistant coach for West Park, commented, "Emotions got the best of us, and that's what it was. Fathers first. That's what it is. We take care of our kids first."

Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said Robinson has a lengthy criminal history. "Was a background check ever done on Robinson? He's got aggravated assault, assault with a firearm and multiple arrests for distribution of cocaine, so that makes me concerned. Why is even around our kids?"

The league says it is up to each team to provide affidavits that they have checked the background of the coaches, and that they're clear.

The board met Monday night to discuss this. They still have not released a decision on whether it will kick the team off the league.

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