This California mom, Alice Ham is seeking justice for her daughter after the teenager was viciously punched by an opponent during a basketball game. It is to report that the girl who punched Ham's daughter is daughter of a former NBA player and according to Ham the mom encouraged her daughter to hit the teenager as she could be heard in the clip saying 'You better hit her.'
This California mom is furious after watching a clip where her fifteen-year-old teenage daughter gets vicious sucker-punched by an opponent during a youth club basketball game.
The disturbing incident happened in Garden Grove, California during an AVAC United girl's basketball game. Avac United organizes games for teenagers between 13-16 across Southern California.
Alice Ham, the mom says her daughter suffered a concussion because of the punch. She also claims that the mother of another teenage girl encouraged the attack.
"THIS… this right here makes me SICK to my stomach," wrote Ham in an Instagram post.
"This happened to MY DAUGHTER at her game yesterday. There is absolutely no place for something like this in basketball, I don't care how famous you are!!"
Sucker punch at youth basketball game in Orange County leaves girl with concussion; mother has filed police report https://t.co/gzNqmf7Yws
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 10, 2021
"This mom told her daughter to 'go and hit her'," wrote Ham adding, "and my kid gets an unprovoked sucker punch."
"I'm sorry but it's everything that's wrong with youth sports. The girl and her mom showed absolutely no remorse and offered no apology. Youth sports needs to change."
The video showed her daughter getting tangled up and falling on the floor in a painful manner during the game with an opponent whose father is also a famous former NBA player.
No fouls were even called on the play.
The two girls then stand back on their feet and walk down the court side by side while a woman is heard yelling: "You better hit her."
Only a few seconds later, shockingly the teenager swung her arm and delivered a blow to Ham's daughter's face knocking her to the floor.
A spokesperson for the Garden Grove Police Department said an investigation of the incident is underway.
Ham says that she was elsewhere watching her other children play during the incident.
Ham in an interview with KTLA said she realized something was terribly wrong as when her daughter returned home after her basketball game disoriented. It was later that teammates and other parents showed Ham the video.
She told ABC's Eyewitness News:
"I want the daughter and the mom held accountable. Because this type of behavior is reprehensible and cannot happen in youth sports."
I say yet again, WHAT HAVE WE BECOME ??? My God, people see violence as their go to solution whenever there’s conflict ? We,as a society cannot survive if this kind of behavior continues to grow as it has.Lives are being lost over trivial little conflicts.
— Rocco (@Boppauumaomao9) November 10, 2021
Ham says that the opposing player's mother also encouraged the attack as she could hear the voice in the video clip.
"I can hear pretty clearly the mom (in the video). I know it's the mom because the witnesses at the site told me."
"It's pretty clear that she tells her daughter you have to hit her for that. What 'that' is, I don't know. I don't know what the mom thinks she saw."
Lieutenant Mario Martinez of the Garden Grove Police Department told the Huffington Post:
"The video is disturbing to watch obviously."
Martinez also added that investigators would hold back on releasing some of the details since both girls involved are minors.
Ham says following the incident, her daughter missed school for several days but she looks forward to going back to school and playing basketball again soon.
Lawyer Brett Greenfield, who represents the family of the girl who threw the punch, suggested the family understands the seriousness of the situation.
Greenfield told NBC:
"We are in no way trying to downplay and/or disrespect the seriousness of this situation. What is vital to remember is that these are two very young minors involved."
"The family recognizes the seriousness of this incident and will continue to take every necessary step to manage this in a positive way."
If that happened to my child, the mother would be in the hospital... Period...
— Mark (@MJfactor) November 10, 2021
Greenfield also confirmed the girl is the 15-year-old daughter of former Chicago Bulls player Corey Benjamin.
He added:
"The comments on social media in response to this incident are a cause of great concern for both the minor and her family."
"We would respectfully request that she be given the benefit of the doubt and that her privacy be respected given her young age."
Yeah, there has to be consequences. Maybe Attacker should be fined for medical expenses, do volunteer work for 1-3 yrs, and apologize publicly. I don’t think jail is the answer. Although, the victim is lucky to be walking away. This could have easily been a more severe injury.
— Syrissa T (@syrissa) November 10, 2021
The CEO of Avac United, Gary Thomas further told KTLA the organization will cooperate with any investigation. They have already banned the girl who punched Ham's daughter and her mother from AVAC events until further notice.
That girl isn’t remorseful at all… she won’t have done it! She’s old enough to know from right from wrong.
— 🌹𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖘🌹 (@marsmars____) November 10, 2021
Not the first timepic.twitter.com/b6fl3MdMZt
— fufutura (@fufuturania) November 12, 2021
No, her attorneys comment is not good enough. If the minor is capable of committing an adult act (giving a concussion with a punch), the minor should be tried like an adult. She should be held accountable. This action deserves jail time.
— Read Option (@TheReadOption1) November 10, 2021
Why hasn’t been been kicked off the team and charged with assault
— Esmeralda 💛 (@bitofheaven1968) November 10, 2021
The child should be held accountable and the parents should be even more accountable bc kids learn this from their parents.
— Jesse James (@ja_aquino) November 10, 2021
Thomas said:
"We're very sorry… we want everybody to feel safe. We want everyone to feel secure."
"This is an environment where kids should have fun and enjoy and be safe."
This is unacceptable!! That’s a violent act and should never be tolerated. Parents should be held accountable too.
— Scott (@wisdommoment) November 11, 2021