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Sports Psychologist Weighs In On Prep Goalie Quitting Mid-Game

FARMINGTON, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Farmington High School hockey goalie says an issue with coaches is the reason he scored a goal on his own team and then quit.

YouTube video shows senior Austin Krause play the puck, and then purposely score on his own team during Tuesday night's senior night against Chaska.

He made an obscene gesture toward the crowd, saluted, and then skated off the ice. The goal he scored against his team tied the game for Chaska, who then scored another goal to beat Farmington.

Austin Krause talked with WCCO Wednesday night, but did not want to do an on-camera interview. He did say that after the video was put on YouTube, his Twitter followers went from 20 to more than 1,000.

He said the reason he did what he did, had to do with the coaches and lost playing time. And he's asking people not to judge him, unless they've walked in his shoes. Krause also said that he loves his teammates.

"I was shocked," Dr. Nicole LaVoi said, a sports psychology consultant with the University of Minnesota. "I've seen a lot of crazy things in youth sports, but that was near the top."

LaVoi wants young athletes to focus on what they can control as opposed to what they can't. And LaVoi said the goal of coaches should be to build character in players, not characters.

"We hear more about it because of the media, but I would venture a guess that this kind of behavior has been happening for a long time," LaVoi said.

She said use this incident as a teachable moment.

"This isn't acceptable, it's not funny, and it should not be tolerated," she said. "In fact, I hope parents and coaches are having those conversations tonight with young athletes. If they don't, then the moment is lost and it might happen again."

LaVoi added that coaches and parents need to encourage full effort at all times.

And if players want to feel a part of the team, then they need to act like a teammate and display good sportsmanship during practice and in a game, she said.

Krause told WCCO that he has been suspended from school for 10 days.

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