A California high school girl’s softball coach has apologized for requiring eight players who struck out during a recent game to drink soda pop out of a team member’s shoe, a school district official said.

The South Tahoe High School varsity players drank the soda at a team slumber party on May 1, hours after a game against Wooster High School of Reno, Nev.

“It was meant as a joke, and obviously it went too far,” Lake Tahoe Unified School District superintendent James Tarwater said.

A parent complained about the incident and coach Anneliese Neitling has since apologized, Tarwater said. It was a young coach’s mistake and the matter will be addressed during Neitling’s postseason evaluation, he said.

“People learn from mistakes,” Tarwater said. “She does a good job pulling the team together, morale-wise and support-wise.”

Neitling, who just completed her second season in charge of the school’s softball program, did not return phone calls for comment.  (Read More).