Youth football players benched for pink breast cancer awareness socks

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Two kids are pulled out of a youth football game in Royal Oak, a coach says it was because of their uniforms - others believe it was over something else.

"I teach my son to express himself," said Quincy Twymon. "I teach my son, to show cause, to have a purpose for everything he does."

That is the reason Twymon says his son Quincy Twymon, Jr.  wears pink socks when he plays for the Royal Oak Titans football league. In fact, he has worn the same socks in support of breast cancer awareness for the last few years.

That's why Quincy and other players were shocked they were told they couldn't play in Saturday's game unless they changed into the team's blue team socks on the field in front of hundreds of people - minutes before the game started.

FOX 2: "Why didn't he just change his socks?"

"If he would have been told that beforehand or if they would have reached out to a parent he would have changed his socks," Quincy Sr. said. "An adult talking to a kid, bullying him."

Twymon says there were only two kids singled out, his son and 11-year-old Corey Cobb there they are wearing their different colored socks on the field.

In fact Corey's father, who was also a coach, says he tried discussing it with the general manager, who claims they gave the kids the option to change their socks.

"No that didn't happen, they were never given offer to change their socks," said suspended Coach Corey Cobb. "They were told to get off the field. When I tried to talk to the GM about the matter I was subsequently suspended told to get off field as well

"If there was any error here, it was on my part for not communicating to the parent," said Kelly Binkowski, the Royal Oak Youth Football Board president. "The breakdown in communication wasn't with parents wasn't with coaches' volunteer board, it’s because we didn't notify the parents."

Binkowski admits the timing could have been better when it came to informing the players. But the parents who many of whom took their players off the field, left in solidarity say the issue runs deeper than that.

"It's not right for you not to see anything else that went on," Twymon said. "For you to only see my son and another player - kids of color - that's not right."

He says that's because a player, who is white and wearing black socks was still allowed to play.

Binkowski says having the players wear their complete uniform was about unity. people can disagree whether it is right or wrong to require the players to wear the same socks - but said it never had anything to do with race.

"I don't know where that came from and truly I can't explain it," Binkowski said. "That's not what this organization is about, this is not what these volunteers are about. To perpetuate that is irresponsible and upsetting. Out of all of this things, that is the most upsetting is that allegation."

"I think they went a long way to disprove that, they segregated us," said Cobb. "I think that was their goal."

Corey junior and Quincy junior and a few players have since quit the team and their families say they are still waiting for an apology.