Local

Dr. Phillips Pop Warner football coach accused of body-slamming 11-year-old player

An Orlando Pop Warner football coach was in hot water Thursday after an 11-year-old player accused the man of body-slamming him over an altercation with his son.
The boy’s mother, Yamila Santos, told Channel 9 that her son wasn’t hurt, but he was traumatized by the experience.
“The coach’s son and my son were having a little disagreement, and his son pushed my son, my son pushed him back, and the coach came over and lifted my son over his head and body-slammed him, just slammed him on the floor,” Santos said. “Who goes around body-slamming kids?”
Santos filed a police report about the incident, but the State Attorney’s Office has not made a decision on whether charges will be filed.
According to Pop Warner League President Lisa Backovsky, Joseph Logan Newell is no longer coach of the Dr. Phillips team and is no longer a part of the league.
When contacted by Channel 9, Newell hung up the phone without commenting on the accusations.
Santos said she wanted to make sure nothing like this happened to any other players and was glad her son wasn’t seriously injured.
“He’s only 11,” she said. “At most, he’s only 60 pounds. He’s skin and bones. I’m really lucky he wasn’t hurt more than what it could have been.
“He literally could have snapped his neck in half.”
Karen Parks

Karen Parks, WFTV.com

Karen Parks is a reporter at WFTV.