Former New Jersey baseball player Jake Mesar's high school career ended before it even began in 2012. He permanently injured his ankle sliding into third base during the second inning of his first junior varsity game in his freshman year and never played again.

But Mesar claimed the injury was avoidable and believed he should've never been told to slide. So he sued his coach, John Suk, according to NJ.com. The Bound Brook High School baseball player, who is now 22, argued that his former coach called him to slide when he was too close to the bag, and it resulted in his playing career coming to an end. He was seeking seven figures in damages, but the jury sided with the coach. 

Suk argued that being found guilty would have negatively impacted his coaching career and high school sports in the state as a whole. He told NJ.com that, "The coaching profession would be under heavy scrutiny for everything that happens."

From NJ.com:

"Coaches are going to have to have insurance like doctors have for malpractice. School districts are not going to want to take the risk of having sports."

Mesar was a 15-year-old freshman playing in his first ever junior varsity game when the injury occurred. After hearing what he calls a "pop" in his ankle, Mesar had to have three surgeries. He is no longer able to participate in any sports. 

In the trial he said, "I felt bad for my parents. They would never be able to see me play again," NJ.com reported. He added that doctors have advised him not to even jog.

"He will never recover fully," doctors told Mesar, according to NJ.com

Ultimately, a majority of jurors believed there was no ill intent to the coach's call. 

"I don't think the coach had any intention of hurting the kid when he told him to slide," juror Lauren Palladino told NJ.com. "It just… happened. How was the coach reckless? That's how you play the game."