Wayzata basketball coach resigns after allegedly pushing Minnetonka player Ibrahim El-Amin (video)

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An assistant coach with the Wayzata varsity basketball team has resigned after an allegedly shoving a high school player during a game versus crosstown rival Minnetonka.

Video from the Jan. 31 game appears to show a Wayzata coach dressed in black, who is identified by witnesses as Ryan Freeberg, coming into contact with a member of the Minnetonka junior Ibrahim El-Amin, the son of former Minneapolis North and University of Connecticut basketball star Khalid El-Amin.

At about the 12-second mark in the video posted below, you can see a man who is identified by witnesses as Freeberg pick up the basketball and throw it underhand at El-Amin, who didn't appear ready to receive the ball. The referee then separates the two.

Later, at about the 28-second mark in the video (after the end of the first half of the game), Freeberg appears to shove El-Amin near the Minnetonka logo just to the right of mid-court. Someone shoves Freeberg in response before a referee directs him off the court.

Ibrahim El-Amin's brother, Ishmael El-Amin, a former Hopkins standout who now plays guard at the University of Rhode Island, demanded Freeberg resign, be banned from coaching in Minnesota, and issue a public apology.


Khalid El-Amin tweeted: "We demand [Coach Ryan Freeberg] from Wayzata High School be held accountable! Throwing the ball and pushing my son during the game!"

Freeberg has since resigned, according to Wayzata Public Schools, who issued a one-sentence statement saying Freeberg "will no longer be on the coaching staff for boys varsity basketball."


Go Gophers!!
 


What a weird situation, what could possibly have worked up an opposing assistant coach enough to warrant that reaction? Very weird.
 


Poor way to handle this situation by posting it on social media.
 



The coach should absolutely be publicly shamed and this accomplishes that. Perfect way to handle this situation
Public shaming...... You'd make a great communist. The coach made a mistake reacting like that. We don't really have the full story yet, do we? Like both sides....
 

Public shaming...... You'd make a great communist. The coach made a mistake reacting like that. We don't really have the full story yet, do we? Like both sides....

I have no sympathy for adults who try to intimidate kids, maybe you do and if that’s the case, I pray for your children. But yes, I’m for this coach’s name reaching as many basketball people as possible to ensure he never coaches again. I think Sean Sutherlin’s father’s reply to this video in the comment section speaks to how many people would have handled this situation..this clown was lucky those involved didn’t escalate the situation.
 




Obviously shouldn’t be around kids… or not trained well enough to be.

No matter what the kid said the adult is wrong. Doesn’t mean the kid is free of causing the problem.. I don’t care if the kid called the coach a bitch… deescalate and deal with it. Adult acted like a 12 year old…
 

Public shaming...... You'd make a great communist. The coach made a mistake reacting like that. We don't really have the full story yet, do we? Like both sides....
What both sides is there? Lmao. A kid *maybe* chirped a coach and he shoved a 17 year old? What we do know is an adult did shove a kid. Some call it a mistake, some would maybe even call it assault but if you don't think people need to follow rules or laws thats your own opinion.
 


Pretty sad the way high school and aau ball has gone. Kids can't score anymore without taunting or chirping every single basket. I'm sure the coach and player were jawing at each other all game, obviously not okay with what the coach here did. Coach has to be the bigger person
 



Pretty sad the way high school and aau ball has gone. Kids can't score anymore without taunting or chirping every single basket. I'm sure the coach and player were jawing at each other all game, obviously not okay with what the coach here did. Coach has to be the bigger person
Agree coach has to be better ,but PARENTS and player support people are the reason this stuff happens
 

Agree coach has to be better ,but PARENTS and player support people are the reason this stuff happens
And referees not nipping the trash talk and chippy stuff in the bud early in the game and it then spiraling out of control.

someone in the game gets a tech in the first 5 minutes of the game for jawing and this never happens.

Also, the coach is a little boy and probably shouldn’t be leading anything. How can you be that dumb and childish as an “adult”
 



Not sure the referees should be blamed for lack of control. How do you know that it was a chippy game that the referees lost control of?
 

Not sure the referees should be blamed for lack of control. How do you know that it was a chippy game that the referees lost control of?
Because I’ve coached basketball and that is the case in of 99% of squabbles in my experience.


im not blaming officials for this. It is the fault of the individuals. I am saying better officials could’ve prevented this.
 

Because I’ve coached basketball and that is the case in of 99% of squabbles in my experience.


im not blaming officials for this. It is the fault of the individuals. I am saying better officials could’ve prevented this.
Even if the officiating was bad you would never verbally or physically confront an apposing player. If that notion ever even enters your mind you need to stop coaching immediately. There are two obvious avenues to take, one the officials or two the apposing coach, any other option would/should never occur.
 

Even if the officiating was bad you would never verbally or physically confront an apposing player. If that notion ever even enters your mind you need to stop coaching immediately. There are two obvious avenues to take, one the officials or two the apposing coach, any other option would/should never occur.
I wouldn’t. You wouldn’t. Have you ever walked around in society though?
 

Because I’ve coached basketball and that is the case in of 99% of squabbles in my experience.


im not blaming officials for this. It is the fault of the individuals. I am saying better officials could’ve prevented this.
You just blamed the officials after saying you weren’t blaming the officials. My point is that, unless you were there, you don’t know that the game was chippy and officials could have prevented this. Maybe the players were model citizens with no sportsmanship Issues and this was an isolated incident. Also the coach is responsible for the demeanor of his staff and players, including bench personnel. Players often behave based on how their coach acts on the bench. Constantly whining and complaining coaches model that behavior and the players notice.
 

Pretty sad the way high school and aau ball has gone. Kids can't score anymore without taunting or chirping every single basket. I'm sure the coach and player were jawing at each other all game
You’re sure? Well, then maybe you can give us a better read on the situation.

Was it taunting, chirping, or was the player just getting uppity?
 

You just blamed the officials after saying you weren’t blaming the officials. My point is that, unless you were there, you don’t know that the game was chippy and officials could have prevented this. Maybe the players were model citizens with no sportsmanship Issues and this was an isolated incident. Also the coach is responsible for the demeanor of his staff and players, including bench personnel. Players often behave based on how their coach acts on the bench. Constantly whining and complaining coaches model that behavior and the players notice.
I’ve watched enough high school basketball to know that stuff like that doesn’t happen in a game that’s under control.
 


The public shaming a playing this video over and over is excessive. Of course he shouldn’t coach kids at least for a long period of time. Could he learn from this and become a better person? Maybe. In terms of officiating and coaching the horse is out of the barn. You do have kids yelling and one ,or chirping way too much. Not sure how we take that out the game.
 
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The public shaming a playing this video over and over is excessive. Of course he shouldn’t coach kids at least for a long period of time. Could he learn from this and become a better person? Maybe. In terms of officiating and coaching the horse is out of the barn. You do have kids yelling and one or chirping way too much. Not sure how we take that out the game.
This coach definitely should have not did what he did, he let a kid get under his skin and reacted in a negative way. With that being said the players need to play, the coaches need to coach and refs need to ref. I coached a ton of youth sports and I think the kids are spoiled rotten to the core by the parents, grandparents, etc. I'm not condoning what happened but most of this behavior starts long before the kids hit the field, court etc.
 

The public shaming a playing this video over and over is excessive. Of course he shouldn’t coach kids at least for a long period of time. Could he learn from this and become a better person? Maybe. In terms of officiating and coaching the horse is out of the barn. You do have kids yelling and one ,or chirping way too much. Not sure how we take that out the game.
The excuses people are making on here are insane. Is it the end of the world it happened? No, but he made a choice and he can live with the repercussions of his choice. Is he going to get in the fetal position and cry cus the video was shared to facebook? Like you said, he can take it in stride, learn from it and get better.
 

This coach definitely should have not did what he did, he let a kid get under his skin and reacted in a negative way. With that being said the players need to play, the coaches need to coach and refs need to ref. I coached a ton of youth sports and I think the kids are spoiled rotten to the core by the parents, grandparents, etc. I'm not condoning what happened but most of this behavior starts long before the kids hit the field, court etc.
This is 100% true. If I would have gotten into it with an opposing coach, I don't know if I would have seen the court again that season. If I had, it would have been after really getting myself out of the dog house.

No excuse for what that coach did. He is the adult in the room and if he can't handle a 17 year old cocky brat, then he's in the wrong profession. But your post is spot on.
 

The excuses people are making on here are insane. Is it the end of the world it happened? No, but he made a choice and he can live with the repercussions of his choice. Is he going to get in the fetal position and cry cus the video was shared to facebook? Like you said, he can take it in stride, learn from it and get better.
I don't think it's really an excuse, he is just saying that the reaction is a bit overblown for what went down. There is a social media hysteria that happens at almost every newsworthy event and it can chew up and spit out people over every mistake.

I don't think this guy should be a coach. There is no excuse for what he did. However, the reaction to him is a bit disproportionate for what he did.
 




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