Youth basketball board suspends rest of season after parking lot brawl between parents

ST. MARTIN, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) – A youth basketball league in Mississippi has suspended the rest of its season after a brawl involving parents and spectators.

The board of St. Martin Youth Basketball made the decision to cancel the rest of the season.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the brawl involved four to five people in the parking lot of St. Martin Middle School around 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The board released a statement saying there were multiple witnesses who saw people trading insults, punches and even racial slurs.

However, no arrests were ever made, and no weapons were found.

The board said concerns for the safety of the young players led to the decision to cancel the remainder of practices and games this season.

One parent said it’s unfair to the kids who have been looking forward to finishing their season, but he was upset when he learned about the fight.

“I think it’s unfortunate. It’s not fair for the youngsters to miss out on the rest of their season,” dad Derrick Ladner said. “I think they worked very hard to prep for the season, they should at least finish it out. It’s unsettling as a parent and even as a coach. For stuff like that to happen around young children. For children around five to six years old, I don’t think that’s appropriate for that age. It’s all about having fun at that point.”

The season’s closing ceremony is also canceled. Coaches will assign times for players to pick up their awards.

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