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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Fellow coaches say man charged with assault was not at fault
Posted by:
McGruff
()
Date: September 30, 2011 07:10AM
Fellow coaches say man charged with assault was not at fault
Thursday, Sep. 29 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/coach_charged_with_assault_on_teenage_player123/
A coach has been charged after allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old during football practice.
Seth H. Rocca, the 28-year-old Leesburg assistant coach for the Cougars of the Upper Loudoun Youth Football League, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault and released on a $2,500 secured bond.
The incident occurred on Sept. 28 near the 17500 block of Franklin Park Drive in Purcellville. The teen was not injured.
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell was able to further elaborate on the assault.
“Basically, he had lined up against the 14-year-old and shoved him and pushed him to the ground,” Troxell said. “Other coaches had to get involved, and based on the investigation and talking with parents and other coaches, he was charged.”
The Upper Loudoun Youth Football League just finished its third week of play. Officials are aware of the incident, but were not yet ready to give a statement at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 29.
“We’re trying to get to the bottom of it right now,” Vice President Mark Powell said.
Rocca also plays defensive end for the minor league Virginia Chargers football team. The Chargers play in the Atlantic Football Association, a semi-pro league.
Update: 3:39 p.m.
Robert Matthews, another assistant coach for the A-League Cougars, said that Rocca was not at fault.
“It’s a very big misunderstanding,” Matthews said. “It was more Seth trying to help the kid with his technique and trying to keep a [big] kid from falling over.”
Matthews said that the kid, standing 6 feet 2 inches and weighing about 250 pounds, was doing a lineman drill against Rocca when he started to fall. According to Matthews’ account, they grappled when the kid started falling backwards and both ended up on the ground, the player yelling for Rocca to get off of him.
“Seth did not mean any harm to that kid,” Matthews said. “You will get that side of the story from everyone who was there aside from that kid’s parents.”
Another assistant coach on the team, Jim Rosick, was not at yesterday’s practice and didn’t see the incident, but reiterated that none of the coaches he worked with would purposely harm a kid.
Diane Warr, manager of the Cougars, was at practice and saw the event unfold.
“It looked like [Rocca] was trying to teach him how to play football,” Warr said. “I wouldn’t call it a physical assault. The kid was in full pads, Seth didn’t have [any pads] on.”
Warr said that the player’s parents took him and left practice, then called police.
The Cougars have a game tonight at 7:30 p.m. against the Bucs at Fireman’s Field, located at 250 S. Nursery Ave. in Purcellville.
Attachments:
Thursday, Sep. 29 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/coach_charged_with_assault_on_teenage_player123/
A coach has been charged after allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old during football practice.
Seth H. Rocca, the 28-year-old Leesburg assistant coach for the Cougars of the Upper Loudoun Youth Football League, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault and released on a $2,500 secured bond.
The incident occurred on Sept. 28 near the 17500 block of Franklin Park Drive in Purcellville. The teen was not injured.
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell was able to further elaborate on the assault.
“Basically, he had lined up against the 14-year-old and shoved him and pushed him to the ground,” Troxell said. “Other coaches had to get involved, and based on the investigation and talking with parents and other coaches, he was charged.”
The Upper Loudoun Youth Football League just finished its third week of play. Officials are aware of the incident, but were not yet ready to give a statement at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 29.
“We’re trying to get to the bottom of it right now,” Vice President Mark Powell said.
Rocca also plays defensive end for the minor league Virginia Chargers football team. The Chargers play in the Atlantic Football Association, a semi-pro league.
Update: 3:39 p.m.
Robert Matthews, another assistant coach for the A-League Cougars, said that Rocca was not at fault.
“It’s a very big misunderstanding,” Matthews said. “It was more Seth trying to help the kid with his technique and trying to keep a [big] kid from falling over.”
Matthews said that the kid, standing 6 feet 2 inches and weighing about 250 pounds, was doing a lineman drill against Rocca when he started to fall. According to Matthews’ account, they grappled when the kid started falling backwards and both ended up on the ground, the player yelling for Rocca to get off of him.
“Seth did not mean any harm to that kid,” Matthews said. “You will get that side of the story from everyone who was there aside from that kid’s parents.”
Another assistant coach on the team, Jim Rosick, was not at yesterday’s practice and didn’t see the incident, but reiterated that none of the coaches he worked with would purposely harm a kid.
Diane Warr, manager of the Cougars, was at practice and saw the event unfold.
“It looked like [Rocca] was trying to teach him how to play football,” Warr said. “I wouldn’t call it a physical assault. The kid was in full pads, Seth didn’t have [any pads] on.”
Warr said that the player’s parents took him and left practice, then called police.
The Cougars have a game tonight at 7:30 p.m. against the Bucs at Fireman’s Field, located at 250 S. Nursery Ave. in Purcellville.
Attachments:
Re: Fellow coaches say man charged with assault was not at fault
Posted by:
McGruff - Update
()
Date: October 05, 2011 12:20PM
Football coach facing assault charge on minor releases statement through lawyer Wednesday, Oct. 5 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/football_coach_facing_assault_charges_on_minor_releases_statement123/
Seth Rocca, who is now facing a simple assault charge for what the Sheriff’s Office say was an altercation between coach and 14-year-old player at football practice, has released a statement through his lawyer.
For the full story, visit the full Times-Mirror story titled Update: Fellow coaches say man charged with assault not at fault
Statement released through Gregory J. Harris, Rocca’s representation:
Seth Rocca asked me as his attorney to address several issues raised in the Loudoun Times News article and particularly some of the comments to the on-line article posted by readers.
First, we feel that the criticism of Kraig Troxell, the spokesman for the Sheriff’s [Office] is just simply way out of line. Deputy Troxell is simply the spokesman, the messenger. Seth and I have no doubt that Mr. Troxell accurately relayed information that was provided to him by the deputies who responded to the call. As often happens in smaller communities, Kraig Troxell happens to be a neighbor of mine whom I have known for some years now. He is a good man, and a good and decent father, husband and deputy who has a job to do and does it quite well. It is not his job to do his own investigation. He is just the spokesman. Seth and I both feel the criticism in some of the postings to the online article is just way out of line and over the top. He is owed an apology.
Secondly, there is the criticism of the investigating deputies who failed to interview all of the relevant witnesses before going to the magistrate for an arrest warrant. While Seth would have preferred that the deputies interviewed all of the eyewitnesses, not just the irate father, they did interview one of the coaches who was there and they spoke to Seth. Seth and I both feel very strongly that if the eight other eyewitnesses, all parents and coaches had been interviewed, no charges would have been filed. Again, it is not the job of the deputies to play judge, jury and executioner. I have no doubt that based on what this father said, the deputies tried to do their job as best they saw it. The deputies took what information they had to a magistrate who is the one who issued the warrant. The idea, in some of the postings, that the sheriff is doing some kind of publicity stunt is just unfortunate. I doubt Sherriff Simpson had any idea this matter even existed before the magistrate issued his warrant.
Third, Deputy Troxell’s statement that other coaches had to get “involved” is not totally fictitious. One coach did indeed get “involved” by saying something to Seth. Based on our investigation, including interviews of all known adult eyewitnesses, no coach got physically involved or had to break up anything. There was nothing to breakup.
We have an excellent legal system here in Loudoun County. Seth and I have great confidence that he will be cleared of any wrongdoing whatsoever once all witnesses have been heard at the trial.
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/football_coach_facing_assault_charges_on_minor_releases_statement123/
Seth Rocca, who is now facing a simple assault charge for what the Sheriff’s Office say was an altercation between coach and 14-year-old player at football practice, has released a statement through his lawyer.
For the full story, visit the full Times-Mirror story titled Update: Fellow coaches say man charged with assault not at fault
Statement released through Gregory J. Harris, Rocca’s representation:
Seth Rocca asked me as his attorney to address several issues raised in the Loudoun Times News article and particularly some of the comments to the on-line article posted by readers.
First, we feel that the criticism of Kraig Troxell, the spokesman for the Sheriff’s [Office] is just simply way out of line. Deputy Troxell is simply the spokesman, the messenger. Seth and I have no doubt that Mr. Troxell accurately relayed information that was provided to him by the deputies who responded to the call. As often happens in smaller communities, Kraig Troxell happens to be a neighbor of mine whom I have known for some years now. He is a good man, and a good and decent father, husband and deputy who has a job to do and does it quite well. It is not his job to do his own investigation. He is just the spokesman. Seth and I both feel the criticism in some of the postings to the online article is just way out of line and over the top. He is owed an apology.
Secondly, there is the criticism of the investigating deputies who failed to interview all of the relevant witnesses before going to the magistrate for an arrest warrant. While Seth would have preferred that the deputies interviewed all of the eyewitnesses, not just the irate father, they did interview one of the coaches who was there and they spoke to Seth. Seth and I both feel very strongly that if the eight other eyewitnesses, all parents and coaches had been interviewed, no charges would have been filed. Again, it is not the job of the deputies to play judge, jury and executioner. I have no doubt that based on what this father said, the deputies tried to do their job as best they saw it. The deputies took what information they had to a magistrate who is the one who issued the warrant. The idea, in some of the postings, that the sheriff is doing some kind of publicity stunt is just unfortunate. I doubt Sherriff Simpson had any idea this matter even existed before the magistrate issued his warrant.
Third, Deputy Troxell’s statement that other coaches had to get “involved” is not totally fictitious. One coach did indeed get “involved” by saying something to Seth. Based on our investigation, including interviews of all known adult eyewitnesses, no coach got physically involved or had to break up anything. There was nothing to breakup.
We have an excellent legal system here in Loudoun County. Seth and I have great confidence that he will be cleared of any wrongdoing whatsoever once all witnesses have been heard at the trial.