Suffolk County Police Investigating Commack Football

Suffolk County police are investigating an incident involving a 16-year-old Commack High School football player and an assistant coach during a recent practice.

According to the player’s parents, their son was sitting on the bench when an assistant coach picked up a football helmet and threw it toward the teenager. The parents said the helmet struck their son in the face as he was standing up.

The player was taken to a hospital following the incident, where he received three stitches under his right eye. His parents also said he needs to be evaluated for a possible concussion.

The teenager’s parents expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding the incident and the coach involved. They said the assistant coach was not an employee of the Commack School District and was instead serving as a volunteer with the football program.

The Commack School District confirmed that the individual was a board-appointed volunteer.

The district also released a statement saying it takes allegations involving the safety and well-being of students seriously and is cooperating fully with the Suffolk County Police Department as the investigation continues.

The incident has understandably raised concerns for the player’s family, particularly because of the responsibility adults have when working with student-athletes.

The teenager has played football since he was 7 years old, according to his parents, who said they had never experienced an incident like this during his years playing the sport.

For families, coaches and student-athletes, safety has to remain at the center of every athletic program. Football is an intense sport by nature, but the responsibility of coaches and adults working with young athletes is to make sure that intensity never comes at the expense of a player's safety.

The investigation by Suffolk County police remains ongoing. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including exactly what occurred during the practice, will be determined as authorities continue their work.

For the Commack football community, the hope is that the situation is handled appropriately and that the focus can ultimately return to what high school athletics should be about: giving young athletes a safe environment in which to compete, learn and grow.