Accidents Happen.

I'm sure by now, some folks have already seen this story, but I have been wanting to rant about it since I saw it on the news yesterday morning, and this is the first chance I have gotten. 

Coach suing 14-year-old over Little League Baseball celebration

As the Human Torch would say...Flame On!

First of all, if I was a judge, I throw this out for lack of evidence.  I know...a civil trial doesn't have the same proof standards as a criminal trial, but, by the coaches own statement, he felt something in his heel, and then turned around and saw the helmet on the ground.  NO ONE seems to have seen the helmet hit his ankle and cause this injury...and also by his own paperwork, he had a pre-existing Achilles condition.  These things go without helmet's hitting them...ask Dan Marino and Vince Wilfork, who both suffered non-contact Achilles injuries.

So, that's one.  Two is the fact that we seem to have lost the grip on the fact that sometimes, accidents just happen!  Bad things sometimes happen to good people. 

I have heard that where some people work, safety is a huge priority.  It's not just priority #1, it's #1A, and #1B.  If you want to know my opinion on this, I recommend you watch this Ted Talks video with Mike Rowe(it's long...for the point in question, jump to 13:09....but the whole video is worth watching). 

The increasingly prevailing opinion is that ALL accidents are preventable...which I just have a hard time always getting behind.  Can you make it tougher to have accidents?  Yes.  But...unless you bubble wrap the world(can't bubble wrap the person, than you have a suffocation hazard), there is ALWAYS going to be something you haven't thought of, whenever people try to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time.  There is some measure of risk in doing anything. 

You get out of bed, you might stub your toe on the dresser.  Stay in bed, you might get bed sores. 

You coach little league, and a helmet thrown in a moment of celebration(an act taken THOUSANDS of times a year), is eventually going to take that one goofy bounce, and potentially hit your Achilles Tendon.