Robert Lynn Barker takes his youth football seriously.
But the Central Florida man might have gone a little overboard when he wielded a pellet gun to force a 13-year-old boy into doing some sprinting in the sweltering heat this past Saturday, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Barker, 41, allegedly fired the gun into the air as motivation to keep the kid running. The teen footballer had fallen ill during a game earlier in the day, and Barker, whose relationship with the child is unknown, thought he needed more conditioning.
The 13-year-old was made to do 20-yard sprints while wearing full football equipment in the hot sun.
Thankfully, an anonymous person witnessed the training and called the police, who arrested Barker and charged him with child abuse and assault with a firearm.
He told officers he never pointed the gun at the boy.
He was later released on $10,000 bail.
