Kansas University senior softball player Destiny Frankenstein believes head coach Tracy Bunge made a mistake in making the Jayhawks shower in their uniforms to “wash away the bad play” after a 13-1 home loss to Texas A&M on April 2.
The all-Big 12 Conference shortstop and team MVP does not, however, think the coach’s lecturing the players in their underwear – a tactic employed by the U.S. Olympic coaches after a loss in 1996 – constituted “a big deal” or was a fireable offense.
“Maybe in college, I don’t think it should have been done, but it was not a bad experience,” Frankenstein said Saturday.
Her former KU teammate, Jackie Vasquez, is suing the school, claiming she was kicked off the team in retaliation for filing a complaint about the incident. KU has stated she was removed from the squad for reading an assistant coach’s e-mail during the spring semester.
“They (Olympians) are a little bit older than us. They are more a professional level. We are NCAA level,” Frankenstein said. “Most of us didn’t think it was a big deal. We knew what the metaphor was behind it, so we forgave her (Bunge) and put it behind us right after it happened.”
Indeed, the Jayhawks finished the season strong, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“It was an awkward situation (in shower), but nothing to fuss about,” said KU senior Jessica Moppin, a second-team all-Big 12 player. “We played bad that day. Coach Bunge said there was negativity on the team and we needed to wash it off. She said it’s what the Olympic team did in 1996. I understood what she was doing.”
Vasquez also claimed Bunge ordered players to remove their uniforms in the shower, lectured them as they stood in their underwear and said “great choice of underwear” to a player wearing see-through underwear.
“It definitely wasn’t sexual harassment,” Moppin said. “I think probably two people actually took their pants off. I was in full uniform. As far as the comment that supposedly was made, if that was made, I was not around to hear that.
“I think it was just Jackie trying to make coach Bunge look bad for not being accountable for her (own) actions.”
Moppin is unhappy with former teammate Vasquez, who Moppin believes merely is upset at being booted from the team.
“She was tried fairly, and you need to be responsible for your actions,” Moppin said. “It’s not what she and her father are doing. It makes us mad. I believe in my coaches and understand they are there every day working for us. They love softball, they love their jobs and love us. They are very professional and precise. They would never do anything to put us in a bad situation.
“That was done to motivate us. We finished strong. The shower incident worked,” Moppin added with a laugh.
The Jayhawks said this would not ruin the upcoming season.
“It happened. We were fine with it when it happened right after it happened. It’s something that has not stayed with us,” Frankenstein said after Saturday’s 6-0 fall softball victory over UMKC. “There are no negative feelings toward coach.”
What about possible negative feelings toward Vasquez?
“I would rather not comment on Jackie,” Frankenstein said. “I’ve not spoken with her. I don’t know what her feelings are about the team now.”
The Jayhawks discussed the issue at breakfast Saturday. Several players read the Journal-World’s account of Vasquez suing the school for violating her rights to due process by removing her from the team. She has asked a judge to review the school’s actions.
“We talked about it as a team. The coaches talked, too,” Frankenstein said. “We all agreed once the game started we would not talk about it or worry about it. The team is not devastated. We didn’t want that kind of publicity in the paper today, and we went out and won. I don’t think it affected anybody.
“As a team we are good on and off the field, and we’ll deal with it.”
Bunge is not commenting on the matter. Vasquez has referred questions to her attorney.
