Cup checking in baseball

[lazyjboy]

What is the name of your state? Tennessee


A high school coach is hitting players in the groin to check for a cup before games and practices. This action is unwelcome by many of the players and sometimes uncomfortable or painful. Could this fall under a type of sexual harassment?

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

Sexual harassment. Sexual assault.

Yep, there is a problem.

 

[justalayman]

Not sure this could be construed as sexual anything as there are no sexual implications although in todays environment, it may be accepted as sexual but you also need to understand he is making a point. A cup is an important part of the equipment and what he is doing is making sure nobody is lying about wearing one and does not forget to wear one.

How about taking care of this without the courts involved. A complaint from the kids to their parents who should be contacting the school should remedy the situation.

 

[lazyjboy]

I am hoping to solve this without any kind of legal action however I did want to be prepared before talking to the Board members. We spoke to the coach and he was not receptive at all.

 

[Perky]

I am hoping to solve this without any kind of legal action however I did want to be prepared before talking to the Board members. We spoke to the coach and he was not receptive at all.

All three of my sons played baseball through our community athletic association from the age of 5 to 12, and their coaches often checked for cups by tapping with a bat. It's not uncommon, but the tap shouldn't hurt.

If the coach is not receptive, I suggest that you speak with his principal before going to the Board (if you haven't already). There's a 'chain of command' that districts like to follow, and if you have other problems in the future, the principal will be more helpful if you don't go over his head this time.

 

[tranquility]

A "cup check" is fairly traditional in the sport. I don't think you'll get far with a sexual harrassment-type argument. Also, many states' high school rules require the coach to certify to the umpire before the game that his players are properly equiped. A coach also could have some liablity if a player was injured during a game or practice because he was not wearing proper protective gear. Any argument to end cup checks will require the team members to come up with another method to insure the cups are being worn.

None of this is to say the coach isn't abusing things through some sadistic glee. There are good coaches and bad and any coach who does not recognize and adapt to the legitimate requests of his team has a problem. If this is a legitimate request or not depends upon a lot of the facts of which we are getting only one side. I warn the OP, the coach should work to eliminate the problem. Before confrontation, you better hope the check and not you are the problem.

 

[spallanzani]

If a child is hurt because he isn't wearing a cup, the coach could be held liable for not enforcing the rule that players have to wear cups.

If the cup check is hurting anybody, it is definitely too hard and that needs to addressed, but I don't think you're going to be able to get him to stop doing it altogether.

How else should the coach check, by feeling their crotches with his hands? I don't think so.

 

[stealth2]

Our school has each kid tap the cup himself - you can hear if they're wearing a cup or not.

 

[Perky]

Our school has each kid tap the cup himself - you can hear if they're wearing a cup or not.

Now THAT is a great solution!