A California coach is suing one of his Little League players, seeking $600,000 for what he says was a careless helmet toss that left him with a torn Achilles tendon.

Alan Beck of Roseville, a chiropractor who coaches in his spare time, says the 14-year-old boy “carelessly” threw his helmet aside after a teammate batted in the winning run during one of last season’s games, according to a local news station. The helmet struck Mr. Beck in his heel, tearing the tendon.

The boy, for his part, says he was only celebrating after scoring the winning run.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” the teen’s father, Joe Paris, told the station. “Now I think it’s absurd.”

Mr. Beck seeks $500,000 for pain and suffering and $100,000 for lost wages and medical bills.

“A guy who volunteers his time to coach should not be subjected to someone who throws a helmet in the manner that he did,” said his attorney Gene Goldsmith. “What the kid did, it crossed the line.”

The incident occurred as the boy rounded third base and into home, cheering his teammate’s winning hit. Somewhere between third and home — where his teammates crowded and screamed — he tossed his helmet into the air.

Mr. Beck said he went “into shock” from the impact of the helmet, claiming that he temporarily lost his hearing and that “everything dimmed,” HLN reported.

The boy’s parents and attorney point out that Mr. Beck nonetheless coached 11 more games, post-injury.