Coach under fire after football players burn hands on turf field

STRATFORD, Conn. -- A Connecticut high school football coach has apologized after more than a dozen players burned their hands crawling on a field's scorching artificial turf earlier this week.

Parents say coach T.J. Cavaliere, also known as "Coach Cav," told the team to crawl across the turf Monday at Stratford High School when temperatures soared above 90 degrees.

In a letter to parents, Cavaliere apologized and said the exercise was in response to poor behavior during a scrimmage on Friday. He says he wasn't aware the turf could cause blisters and that he learned a "valuable lesson."

CBS New York reports that one player, who was sympathetic to the coach, said 16 of his teammates required first aid.

"No one had heat stroke or anything. It was just strictly cosmetic in the hands," said Stratford High School football player Zach Smith to CBS New York. "We bandaged them just how you would bandage a cut or anything else."

CBS New York reports that a heat sensor check of the field showed the surface up near 130 degrees before noon.

While some parents complained, others jumped to the defense of the coach.

"Coach Cav already admitted that he thought it was in poor judgment. He sent a letter home. He apologized to the boys. He would choose a different exercise in hindsight," said Mary Sue Baricko, the mother of a player, to CBS New York. "I believe in him."

The coach didn't attend practice Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.

Stratford's superintendent didn't respond to requests for comment.