Youth Baseball Coach Caught On Video Allegedly Hurting Kids From Opposing Team
Who does that to kids?
TikTok | Harris County Constable Precinct A Texas youth baseball coach was caught on video allegedly hurting and shoving children on the opposing team after his team lost a game, subsequently losing his coaching job.
The altercation happened on July 9, after former head coach Kenneth Wendt and the team he was coaching, the Scorpions Team Easton, lost to Prospects Baseball in Spring Branch, Texas.
In the video, Wendt, who also serves as a local police officer, is allegedly seen forcefully shoving the children's hands, hitting them, and even bumping one child during the end-of-game handshake line.
The kids' baseball coach was fired after children complained that he had hurt them.
The little boys who were can be heard exclaiming after they exited the handshake line, talking amongst themselves about how they had been hit by the other team's coach.
RELATED: Viral Video Trend Of Parents Asking Their Kids To Back Them Up In A Fight Sparks Debate
"That coach pull[ed] me back," one boy says in the video, while another one chimes in that he was hit on the head.
“Nothing in the world gives you the right to do that to kids,” Victor Torres, the coach for the winning team, told KHOU. "They come in and they slap you hard on the hand. And you'll be like, 'hey, don't do that.' But an adult, you wouldn't expect it," Torres said.
"I was upset. I was really upset."
Torres told the Houston Chronicle that his team and the players' parents weren't aware of the altercation after the game between Wendt and the players until they saw the Scorpions' second game the same day, which Wendt was allegedly thrown out of.
"After they played us, they were scheduled to play another game," Torres said. "When they were playing that game, [Wendt] was harassing one of the kids that was playing first base. He even told him that he was going to meet him in the parking lot."
Torres continued, saying that after one of the opposing players complained about Wendt in the dugout, the parent who had taken the original video of his aggressive behavior started to become concerned.
After being thrown out of the game, that was when Torres discovered Wendt was a police officer. He repeatedly kept saying that he was "a cop."
The day after the game, Wendt, who coached a team full of children 9 years old and younger, was officially removed from his position as a coach.
Wade Martinez, the director for the Scorpions Baseball Club, said in a statement that Wendt's actions were "unacceptable" and "do not align with their organization's values."
"We removed him from coaching and from our club about 8:30 am Sunday," Martinez wrote in the statement to the Houston Chronicle. "Earlier that morning, we watched the video and discussed the events with the Perfect Game Baseball Director that was onsite late Saturday night."
Despite the backlash over the incident, Wendt's actions were defended by a parent who responded to the video anonymously.
“We have known the Wendt family for two years and Kenny has always been a great husband, father, and coach. He spends an extraordinary amount of time in coaching and helping kids and their families both on and off the field.,” the parent said.
According to KHOU, the video caught the attention of the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, where Wendt is employed, and they are currently investigating the incident.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.