Skip navigation

‘Undercooked red meat’ for girl soccer players?

Coach resigns after controversial message to parents of 6-, 7-year-olds

Slideshow
Image: Boston Bruins left wing Sturm and Florida Panthers defenseman Ballard try to control puck in overtime period of their NHL hockey game in Boston
  Week in Sports Pictures
A boxing champ celebrates, a kicker regrets, fans mourn a hero, and much more.

more photos

NBCSports.com news services
updated 5:18 p.m. ET March 31, 2009

SCITUATE, Mass. - The coach of a soccer team for 6- and 7-year-old girls has resigned after receiving criticism for a season-opening e-mail sent to parents.

Michael Kinahan wrote in his resignation letter to the board of the Scituate Youth Soccer League that people failed to see the humor in his e-mail, in which he said "losing is for losers" and encouraged parents to feed their daughters "undercooked red meat."

Kinahan, who dubbed his team "Green Death," said the e-mail was meant to give parents a "chuckle."

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

League registrar Chris Park told the Patriot Ledger of Quincy that some parents understood the tone of the e-mail. Others did not, and complained.

Park says Kinahan has a "wry, sarcastic" sense of humor, but may have gone too far when he showed disdain for referees.

In his season-opening email, Kinahan told his players to take the field "like a Michael Vick pit bull" and informed parents that this was not "two hours of free babysitting," and that he was not going to tolerate them sitting on the sidelines “in their LL Bean chairs sipping mocha-latte-half-caf-chinos” and not cheering.

Kinahan told parents and players to prepare for “bumps, bruises and even bleed a little,” — and vowed to “heckle” the young referees.

Scituate Youth Soccer board member Chris Park told the Boston Herald that the challenge of referees was inappropriate.

"It's not a joke," Park said. "He chewed out a 12-year-old so bad last year she said she won't referee anymore.

© 2009 NBC Sports.com

Sponsored links