Titusville H.S. baseball team plays first game since Harlem Shake punishment

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Titusville High School baseball team played its first game since the district backed off of some of the more extreme punishments for players who made a Harlem Shake video.

School officials suspended nearly a dozen players after their version of the popular video showed up on YouTube.

Prior to the game, the Titusville Terriers had lost three games in a row following the suspension of 10 players.

The team played across the county in Palm Bay, but the suspended players weren't there.

WFTV learned the suspended players won't be back on the field, even to practice, until Monday.

Parents of players on the field Wednesday night said they can't wait to have their entire team back.

"It's been hard on all the boys that weren't in the video. They miss their team. We were going to have a great season," said parent Crystal Townsend.

Their season was scarred when some of the teens joined the latest viral video craze -- the Harlem Shake.

One player, suspended from the team, said the content was innocent.

"It was all fun, but I guess it got blown way out of proportion," he said.

A letter from school officials said that he and his friends will play again, but they will have to do community service until spring break.

School administrators said they embarrassed the team.

There are nearly 200,000 Harlem Shake videos on YouTube -- hundreds of them made by sports teams, even high school teams -- leaving most people Channel 9's Karla Ray spoke with asking, "What's the big deal?"

"It was a funny, stupid little video," said Townsend.

Townsend's son was one of the only varsity players allowed to play Wednesday.

She said she and her son both hope the return of his teammates will turn the season around.

"I'm just glad the decision was reversed a little bit and the boys will be back to play, and maybe we can put this all behind us and go on," said Townsend.

There were some parents who told Ray that the punishment did fit the crime. Some said the players were acting very inappropriately.

The team has two games next week and the suspended players will be able to start competing again March 11.

Previous Story:  Titusville H.S. lightens Harlem Shake video punishment; Parents still say too harsh

WFTV