Red Bank Catholic girls soccer coach Frank Lawrence was fired after being arrested for shoving one of his players at practice. File Photo
By Stephen Appezzato
RED BANK – Red Bank Catholic (RBC) girls soccer coach Frank Lawrence was fired last month after he was arrested for allegedly shoving one of his players.
During an RBC girls soccer practice in July, Little Silver police were notified by a parent after Lawrence harassed and shoved one of the juvenile players, according to the police report. The coach was arrested at the practice. Following the event, RBC fired Lawrence and wiped his name from their website.
RBC did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Lawrence was hired by RBC in 2013 after his contract working as the athletic director at Brookdale Community College was not renewed. According to press reports, Brookdale attempted to dismiss Lawrence following allegations of mishandling funds from a basketball tournament in 2011, leading to a lengthy legal battle between the two parties. The school amassed nearly $100,000 in legal fees fighting the case, which they lost. Lawrence held that the school breached his contract and received a $425,000 settlement from the institution.
Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn (R-13) told The Two River Times that her office has received numerous complaints about RBC’s girls soccer program. Parents and alumni voiced concerns, but no actions were taken to remediate the problems.
According to Flynn, the RBC girls soccer incident in July was just one of many reports of toxic conduct at youth sporting events across the state.
“We’ve received many complaints in our offices that kids are being forced into being in uncomfortable situations due to bad sideline behavior and with coaches, and nothing is being done. And I think the Red Bank Catholic situation was one of them,” Flynn said.
In response to the complaints, she developed a legislative plan to combat inappropriate conduct at sports events. The Penalty Box Act is “intended to address the aggressive behaviors that student athletes are faced with enduring while playing sports – which is supposed to be a place where kids can get a release,” Flynn said.
The legislation, comprised of two bills, would “provide a way in which kids themselves can report bad behaviors and have them fully investigated and addressed,” she said.
The first bill, A4444/A4471, tackles the poor conduct adults sometimes display at sports events. The legislation upgrades penalties for assaults against sports officials, coaches or staff, and is meant to maintain safe environments for players and staff. This bill passed in the state assembly and is now awaiting senate approval.
The second arm of the act, A4486, establishes new anti-harassment, intimidation and bullying policies to combat the harm that toxic environments in athletic settings can cause. The bill will provide players with an avenue to speak out against harmful situations or individuals, and establishes a procedure to anonymously report poor conduct.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) governs high school sports.
According to Mike Cherenson of SCG Advertising + Public Relations, who represents the NJSIAA, the organization has an online reporting form for officials to report unsportsmanlike conduct in high school sports. NJSIAA staff monitor the submissions and follow up with schools when necessary. However, Flynn does not believe this reporting mechanism is being used effectively.
The new legislation would not only cover school sports but also club sports, where these events can often occur without punishment. According to Flynn, club sports can be the “wild west” of youth athletics, lacking unified oversight and enforcement.
“The other concern we have amongst our constituents, our parents, our groups are the alarming suicide rates and mental health rates we have amongst our youth,” said Flynn. Harmful environments in children’s sports can often produce negative mental health effects for athletes, an issue facing many young people today.
“There really needs to be a better approach or maybe a different approach taken on how we’re going to deal with kids and make sure that they’re in healthy environments,” Flynn said. The Penalty Box Act is meant to tackle the issue within athletics.
“We have got to do a better job for our kids and that’s what this legislation is intended to do,” she said.
Both bills received bipartisan support. Flynn anticipates it will receive support from the governor’s office as well.
The article originally appeared in the August 10 – 16, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
