Post by Craig Cumberland on Jan 6, 2006 12:56:45 GMT -8
The basis for the lawsuit is there, just search the web. Case in point: a high school swimming coach (in meets) allowed his swimmer to start from the edge of the pool b/c she was afraid of heights. When she qualified for regionals the officials refused to allow it. She started fom the stand, slipped, fell, broke her neck. Lawsuit followed and the parents won. Reason: the coach failed to properly teach her how. It doesn't matter that the coach didn't have time, it was allowed previously, etc... The coach still had to pony up a settlement and I can only imagine the anguish the case put him through (not to mention the injury, the second guessing, "I should have made her learn"). Following this case P.E. teachers across the country (or at lest in my distrcit) were given the case review (per our lawyers recommendation) and the legal advice to never ask a student to perform something they have not been properly taught. This case also applies to volunteer coaches (look it up). If you put in a kid to catch (or any other position) and they have not been properly trained and they get hurt as a result you are subject to liability. Yes, it's scary - and might seem far fetched... but the courts have ruled otherwise. Coaching is a risky business and we expose ourselves to liability. A smart coach will arm himself with the proper knowledge and coach accordingly. I was recently told by another travel ball coach about a coach who recently settled out of court for a about 20 grand because of the same scenario as the swimmer. The precedents are there - believe them or not. I think we'll see a rise in such cases in the decade ahead. And as far as a lawsuit occuring because of pitcher's elbow - it's already happened. In that particular case it was a high school player and the case was lost... but before long a youth coach will be sued and I believe they will be found liable if they allowed his player to throw curves (will it matter the parents said it was OK? I don't believe so). True, everything can be harmful, but the court looks into reasoable expectations... Is it reasonable to assume a batter may get hurt? Yes. Parents should reasonably expect this, so liability is waived. Unless of course the player never played ball before and the coach did not teach her how to hit (which happened three fall leagues ago in Turlock... She NEVER held a bat before and was sent to the plate... How do you think the courts would deem this? Negligent??? That'd be my guess if the girl would have been seriosuly hurt). Is it reasonable that a coach warms up the players before they take the field - yes. If he doesn't and injury occurs, liability is possible... Though not likely b/c the injury would probably be minor (a strain, pull, whatever). Is it reasonable for a coach of a 9 - 12 year old player to TEACH him or allow him to throw a curve? How can the answer be anything other than "no" when the mounatin of evidence clearly states otherwise... I would not want to be the coach on trial in this case. In this scenario a lawsuit is more likely, especially if the kid has to have Tommy John surgery - which means big bucks to the parents or the insurance company? No dount! And don't you think eventually an insurance company will file suit to recoup costs (and to discourage further cases by sending a message to coaches that curves are bad medicine... or at least bad for their pocket)?? In the last three years the number of Tommy John surgeries performed on youths has skyrocketed, I think the figure was over 1000%. A lawsuit is just a matter of time.
And whose to say how many curves are OK? I blew out my tendon (deteached it from the bone to be specific) on ONE curve. It sounded like a gun shot. And I was in my 20s. One curve is all it takes. And my mechanics were flawless. True, poor mechanics are harmful as is overuse. As a coach I can attempt to correct mechanics and the player may or may not be able to adjust - but I've done my job (assuming I continue reinforcing the right way of throwing). I can make sure a kid doesn't get over pitched... and I can make sure a kid doesn't thow curves. Two out of the three I am in total control over and I can be assured injuries will not result due to over use or throwing curves. If I allow 10 curves a game (and how many in practice? And how many do they throw at home???) then I have no way of knowing if damage is being done or if the next curve will be the one that blows out his arm. My players are taught why curves can hurt their arms and I believe most of them, armed with this understanding, also refrain from doing it at home. If I allow curves at practice or in games - even just a few - they will also practice at home b/c I condone it. My youth coaches alowed me do do it and god only knows how many curves I threw at home "practicing". If I had been educated about why they were harmful I would not have done it, just as I didn't smoke b/c I had been educaed about the harm it can do. Will all players heed my warning and refrain from throwing curves at home? No, but how many will? Whatever the toal is that how many more arms were kept healthy.
The reason Little League banning curves would have such a huge impact is b/c of the media coverage it would get. Nightly news as well as ESPN would make it headline news - and then there would be resulting pressure on those leagues that play "real" baseball. It would also educate millions of parents who now don't know any better.
This debate will go on as long as coaches choose to ignore the medical evidence... and kids will pay the price. The price I paid was losing my high school pitchig career. I still played other positions, had a blast and did well - but I was a pitcher at heart. It's what i loved. Ignorance stole my high school pitching career. Then (early 70s) it could be excused. Today it can't. I wonder how many youth pitchers that are throwing benders will be toast by the time they reach high school? Even if it's "only" 25% or 10% or 5% - that's too many. They should all have healthy arms when the reach high school...
And whose to say how many curves are OK? I blew out my tendon (deteached it from the bone to be specific) on ONE curve. It sounded like a gun shot. And I was in my 20s. One curve is all it takes. And my mechanics were flawless. True, poor mechanics are harmful as is overuse. As a coach I can attempt to correct mechanics and the player may or may not be able to adjust - but I've done my job (assuming I continue reinforcing the right way of throwing). I can make sure a kid doesn't get over pitched... and I can make sure a kid doesn't thow curves. Two out of the three I am in total control over and I can be assured injuries will not result due to over use or throwing curves. If I allow 10 curves a game (and how many in practice? And how many do they throw at home???) then I have no way of knowing if damage is being done or if the next curve will be the one that blows out his arm. My players are taught why curves can hurt their arms and I believe most of them, armed with this understanding, also refrain from doing it at home. If I allow curves at practice or in games - even just a few - they will also practice at home b/c I condone it. My youth coaches alowed me do do it and god only knows how many curves I threw at home "practicing". If I had been educated about why they were harmful I would not have done it, just as I didn't smoke b/c I had been educaed about the harm it can do. Will all players heed my warning and refrain from throwing curves at home? No, but how many will? Whatever the toal is that how many more arms were kept healthy.
The reason Little League banning curves would have such a huge impact is b/c of the media coverage it would get. Nightly news as well as ESPN would make it headline news - and then there would be resulting pressure on those leagues that play "real" baseball. It would also educate millions of parents who now don't know any better.
This debate will go on as long as coaches choose to ignore the medical evidence... and kids will pay the price. The price I paid was losing my high school pitchig career. I still played other positions, had a blast and did well - but I was a pitcher at heart. It's what i loved. Ignorance stole my high school pitching career. Then (early 70s) it could be excused. Today it can't. I wonder how many youth pitchers that are throwing benders will be toast by the time they reach high school? Even if it's "only" 25% or 10% or 5% - that's too many. They should all have healthy arms when the reach high school...