Former Benedictine College soccer player Zach Robertson is suing his former school for a "mandatory" wrestling drill in 2012 that cut his season short.
Robertson is seeking $75,000 in damages for negligence—among other claims—for the exercise that was supposed to prepare the team for its next game. The soccer coach, Rob Herringer, and wrestling coach, Cy Wainwright, are named in the lawsuit. Well, maybe Herringer was preparing his players just in case one of their soccer matches couldn't reach an outcome and, due to some obscure rule, required a decision via wrestling match at midfield.
Oh, the players weren't even learning wrestling moves, according to Robertson. They were just taken down repeatedly. From the Kansas City Star:
"We went up to the wrestling practice room and we were told to let the wrestlers slam us," Robertson said. "And they did, over and over again."
The drill was allegedly called "Domination," and Robertson was thoroughly dominated, with season-ending injuries to his labrum, shoulder, and clavicle.
More from the Star:
"It was supposed to be a team-building exercise," Robertson said. "But they beat the tar out of us."
Robertson said his injuries happened partly because he was slammed to a part of the floor that wasn't covered by a wrestling mat.
[...]
"I wasn't going to volunteer to wrestle. I never wrestled in my life," Robertson said.
Soccer players and wrestlers do not play the same sport, so that's an astute point by Robertson.
Steve Minnis, the college's president, had no comment on the lawsuit.
Photo: AP