Little League Coach Sues 14-Year-Old Player For More Than $500,000

Parents can take all the fun out of sports.

A California Little League coach is suing one of his 14-year-old players for unintentionally hitting him with his helmet after a walk-off hit, according to KCRA 3 in Sacramento.

The coach of the Lakeside Little League team, Alan Beck, claims the boy “carelessly” tossed his helmet in the air in celebration, and it struck Beck’s Achilles tendon and tore it. Beck is seeking more than $500,000 for pain and suffering and an additional $100,000 for lost wages and medical bills.

“I don’t think the boy meant to harm him,” said Gene Goldsman, Beck’s attorney. “But, this wasn’t a part of the game. A guy who volunteers his time to coach should not be subjected to someone who throws a helmet in the manner that he did. What the kid did, it crossed the line.”

The player’s father, Joe Paris, said his son was racing toward home plate to score the winning run when he tossed his helmet in excitement.

“At first I thought it was joke,” Paris said Tuesday. “Now, I think it’s absurd.”

The case is scheduled to go before a judge in March, but legal experts cited in the report say Beck’s case is unlikely to stand up in court.

Photo via KCRA 3