Youth baseball coach shoves kids after losing game in Texas, video shows
Update, July 14: The now-former coach has been “relieved of duty” as a Harris County Constable Precinct 5 sergeant pending an investigation, officials said.
During the post-game high-fives designed to be an act of sportsmanship between two teams, a losing coach was recently seen “mistreating” the winning players.
In the video shared by Prospects Baseball, the Texas coach in a gray hat and khaki shorts is seen bumping or shoving into players and bending other boys’ hands.
“How are we supposed to teach our kids good sportsmanship and ensure our kids safety inside the field when you have a coach mistreating our kids,” the sports team wrote in a July 10 Facebook post.
“That coach pulled me back,” one of the Prospects players is heard saying in the video. Another said he was “hit right in the head,” though it’s unclear who might have hit him. Others are heard saying “ow” and that they were “hit hard” in the high-five line.
The man, identified by the Houston Chronicle as head coach Kenneth Wendt, has since been fired from coaching the 9-and-under Scorpions Baseball team.
“His actions were unacceptable and do not align with our organization’s values,” Scorpions Baseball said in a statement to McClatchy News. “We removed him from coaching and from our club about 8:30AM Sunday (July 10). Earlier that morning, we watched the video and discussed the events with the Perfect Game Baseball Director that was onsite late Saturday night.”
The now-former coach, who is also a sergeant with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, is now subject of an Internal Affairs investigation, according to a spokesperson with the department.
“Statements are being taken, video is being reviewed and we have contacted the coach of the other team,” the spokesperson said. “We are not done with our internal investigation and cannot comment further at this time.”
Prospects 9-and-under baseball coach Victor Torres told KHOU he was “really upset” after learning what Wendt did to his players after the game in west Houston.
“You don’t do that to 9-year-olds,” he told the station. “You don’t put your hands on 9-year-olds. Especially not someone else’s child.”
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Youth baseball coach shoves kids after losing game in Texas, video shows."