Toms River football parent charged with assaulting coach after game

TOMS RIVER, N.J. -- A Toms River football parent was arrested Sunday night for allegedly assaulting his son's coach during at an American Youth League football game.

The 45-year-old coach of the Toms River North Indians claims that the parent, 46-year-old Joseph Oleske, ran across the field and then tackled him without any provocation or warning.

The two men then fought on the ground until bystanders broke them apart, police say. The incident happened after the game around 7:30 p.m.

Oleske, on the other hand, claims he found out that the coach told the players to turn in their equipment and that the season would be over due to their reported ongoing bad attitudes.

Oleske says that he only went to talk to the coach about his comments to the players and claims he acted in self-defense when the coach "took an aggressive stance."

The coach admits he told the players the season was over as a discipline measure for poor sportsmanship and bad attitudes, police say.

Officer Joshua Pedalino interviewed several people and determined that Oleske was the sole aggressor.

Oleske was then placed under arrest and charged with simple assault. He was later released on his own recognizance pending a later court date.

Oleske's attorney, Carmine Villani, described the situation as "unfortunate." He says Oleke wants to move past this and is a well-respected member of the community, a dentist and a father of two children who was a coach for eight years and a member of the board.

Villani says Oleske was running the video booth and was told after the game that the kids, who are 7th and 8th graders and had lost the game - their 6th consecutive loss - that they were berated by the coach, who he alleged said derogatory things to them.

He says Oleske, who is approximately 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, went onto the field to talk to the coach, who is approximately 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds. Oleske alleges he was wrestled to the ground, has marks on his face and was not the aggressor. He says it is being blown out of proportion.