The baseball coach of a Little League team in Texas caused a stir after a game last weekend.
During the post-game handshake line, coach Kenneth Wendt engaged in poor sportsmanship with players of the opposing team, according to KHOU. Wendt, who is a sergeant with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office, was caught on camera being "aggressive" with players, bumping into them and grabbing their hands too hard. Wendt has since been removed as coach of the team.
In the video, which has since gone viral on social media, you can hear players of the opposing team say "Ow" as the coach, who is wearing a blue shirt and khaki shorts, passes them in the line. "That coach pulled me back," another player said. "I got hit right in the head," said another.
Wendt was the coach of the Scorpions Baseball team, a 9-and-under Little League in Houston. His team lost to Prospects Baseball on Saturday.
"Nothing in the world gives you the right to do that to kids," Prospects Baseball coach Victor Torres said. "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. I was upset. I was really upset."
Torres continued, "How is that even possible? You hold them to a higher standard. And then you come out here and do that to kids, to 9-year-old kids."
A Scorpions parent defended Wendt's actions. "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.
Scorpions Baseball issued the following statement:
"His actions were unacceptable and do not align with our organization’s values. We removed him from coaching and from our club about 8:30 a.m. Sunday."
The Harris County Constable Precinct 5 Office is also investigating the incident.
You can watch a video of the incident below: