Appropriate sanction?

[lstorie1971]

My daughter plays first base on her middle school team. She gets a little grounder hit down the line, charges it, picks it up, and tags the girl out coming down the line. The runner punches my daughter in the throat. The umpires ejected the girl and apparently the school will be fined $300 (which they will probably make the family reimburse) and the girl will get a one game suspension.

While I was in the dugout making sure my daughter was OK (she was. The wind was knocked out of her and scared her but she's OK otherwise), the other coach approached the bench to apologize for the girl's actions. I asked the coach for the girl's name and she ignored me. I asked her again and she turned her back and started kicking at the dirt in the thrid base coaches box.

My wife is mad beyond belief. She wants the girl suspended for the rest of the season (which means the end of season tournament rather than just a single game) and wants the coach sanctioned for her behavior when I asked for the girl's name.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hit by the Pitch]

My wife is mad beyond belief. She wants the girl suspended for the rest of the season (which means the end of season tournament rather than just a single game) and wants the coach sanctioned for her behavior when I asked for the girl's name.

Any thoughts?

She should be suspended for the rest of the year, call your HC/ AD.

I would not have given you her name either, what good would come from that. With that said just ask the scorekeeper.

I am sorry this happened.

 

[redhotcoach]

That really stinks that a girls would do that, but I wouldn't give you her info either. That coach doesn't know what kind of crazy thing any unknown angry parent is capable of doing.

If punishments were other players parents responsibility to hand out, chaos would soon follow.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

As a coach , I would not have given that info either. What would be the purpose? If you think more should be done , have your HC/AD file a complaint with your league/association.

 

[softballmom77]

I wouldn't have given up the name either....and wow a whole throat punch! That's some crazy business right there!

 

[Comp]

You need to go through your AD and file a complaint with the organization that sanctions your interschoolasitic sports. The standard result of an ejection is the player also has to sit the next game. However, in situations which involve physical assault or are egregious the governing board can issue additional punishment.

 

[CoogansBluff]

... apparently the school will be fined $300 (which they will probably make the family reimburse)

Was something said to make you believe that the school will ask the family to pay that money? I would be shocked if that happened. The school was fined, not the family. The school has a right to further discipline the player (suspend her for the season, etc.) but doesn't have a right to say ''you can't play unless your family pays this fine.''

All that said, this had to be very upsetting to your daughter. Very sorry to hear that. My daughter plays first base, and it would be traumatizing for her if a player attacked her that way. I hope yours bounces back and understands that this was just a fluke incident.

 

[lstorie1971]

Was something said to make you believe that the school will ask the family to pay that money? I would be shocked if that happened. The school was fined, not the family. The school has a right to further discipline the player (suspend her for the season, etc.) but doesn't have a right to say ''you can't play unless your family pays this fine.''

All that said, this had to be very upsetting to your daughter. Very sorry to hear that. My daughter plays first base, and it would be traumatizing for her if a player attacked her that way. I hope yours bounces back and understands that this was just a fluke incident.

Our school's player agreement has an indemnification clause in it that says if a player is fined for unsportsmanlike conduct, the player's family agrees to be responsible for reimbursing that money. I don't know if that's a county wide thing or just particular to our school.

Also, I can appreciate the coach not wanting to give the name out, but just completely ignoring me was irksome.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Our school's player agreement has an indemnification clause in it that says if a player is fined for unsportsmanlike conduct, the player's family agrees to be responsible for reimbursing that money. I don't know if that's a county wide thing or just particular to our school.

That's interesting. I've worked closely with high school sports for years and have never heard of such a thing. Thanks.

 

[David Carter]

All seems very standard to me. What the association and umpire and coach all did makes sense. I am sure once you think about it some more you will understand why there is no way I would give you her name. It's in the score book and on the roster anyway it's not a secret.

Now that all the standard stuff is out of the way you need to get with the coach and AD and file a complaint with your sanctioning body to review the incident. They should get a report from both schools as well as the umpire in charge for that game. Some associations might review it further but others just follow a formula that says if player does X punishment is Y so they don't have to deal with every situation and come up with a punishment every time. As silly as it sound it will make a difference that it was during the course of play for instance versus the player coming off the bench.

Good luck with the whole situation and I hope your daughter is OK