According to Matti Mäkinen, chairman of Kiri & Kirittäret Juniorit ry, the club wanted to offer Petri Kaijansinko “opportunities to take steps to gain trust”.
Kiri & Kirittäret Juniorit from Jyväskylä, who play in the men’s Finnish baseball league, have chosen Petri Kaijansinko as a game manager, says Keskisuomalainen. (you switch to another service)
Kaijansinkko admitted a year ago in December that he was guilty of sexual harassment in 2014. The Federation Board of the Baseball Association and the board of Superpesis ordered Kaijansinkko a 12-month playing and official ban for unsportsmanlike behavior, which ended at the end of December.
Chairman of Kiri & Kirittäret Juniorit ry Matti Mäkinen said the club wanted to utilize Kaijasinko’s skills in the sport, but also “offer opportunities to take steps to gain confidence”.
– We carefully considered the matter from many angles, but we wanted to use Petri Kaijansinko’s experience and know-how in the sport in the development of these young men, who are probably at the beginning of their top playing careers, from the Finnish league level towards Ykköspes and Super, Mäkinen commented to Urheilu.
How much thought did you put into his selection?
– Of course we considered it because we don’t treat inappropriate behavior or harassment lightly, we take it very seriously. On the other hand, we thought that the sanction, which the Baseball Association had deemed necessary based on Suek’s report, had been suffered.
– We had a discussion in the board and among the parents. We saw that this is a good opportunity for Kaijansinko to return to the sport. This is quite far from the operating environment where he has usually worked. In that way, we also offer opportunities to take steps to achieve confidence that there is a chance to continue working in the sport after the sanction suffered, Mäkinen spins.
Do you think he is a suitable choice?
– When there is no more detailed information than the Päsäpalloliito had when imposing the sanction. It is now suffered. We considered it carefully, but in this type of activity, a similar kind of problem ethics cannot be repeated by itself, when we talk about young men’s baseball and the development of these young players.
No other duties known
In addition to his coaching duties, Kaijansinkko worked in Kirittäri as a club director and acquired partners for the club. Jyväskylä Kiri & Kirittäret is an independent junior club, but According to the club’s website, Mäkinen is the person responsible for Kirittäret cooperation (you will switch to another service). Mäkinen’s spouse Henna Virkkunen is the chairman of Kirittäri.
Is it possible that he would move to other positions within the club as well? I’m also talking about Kirittari in Jyväskylä.
– Not really, because we are an independent junior club and our adult team is a men’s Finnish league team, otherwise there are activities of small Juniors. With us, Petri has no coaching duties other than the B boys’ side.
I understand that you have close relations with Kirittäri and are in contact with them. Do you think it is possible that he also does some tasks in Kirittäri?
– I don’t know, and I don’t really think so. Petri is with us in the development work of young men and Kirittäret is going his own way with his own coaching. We are the junior club of Kirittärie and we strive to develop players there on the girls’ junior side, but Petri does not participate in that activity.
“Used their own judgment”
President of the Baseball Association Ari Mononen notes that Kaijansinko’s playing and official ban ended at the turn of the year.
– The question was the maximum punishment that was given at the time in connection with his actions. When a person has suffered punishment, then naturally there is an opportunity to act as he sees fit. Jyväskylä’s Kiri & Kirittäret has decided to hire him as a game director and there is no legal obstacle to that. They have used their own judgment, Mononen tells Urheilu.
The incident of harassment came to light when Urheilulehti reported last December (you will switch to another service)a well-known baseball coach guilty of sexually harassing a young player.
After the 2014 incident, Kaijansinkko later got a job at Kirittäri in Jyväskylä, which was aware of his past. Kaijansinkko was released from coaching and game management duties after the uproar.