u/gargoyleinargyle

We’re in the midst of an unseasonable heatwave and our kids are under 10. Today’s practice was canceled but the coaches are asking us to go to this one coach’s private home for a “strategy” session.

I don’t know this coach very well and I have some qualms - the first being that this seems unnecessary in the middle of a heatwave. Like many ADHD families, we do sports to get energy out, not to sit in a classroom atmosphere in the evening after his meds have worn off. It won’t really work out as desired and this coach is also extremely strict, often expecting developmentally inappropriate things from kids (ie, no discussing anything but the sport while on the bench waiting to sub in at a game when they were 8.) There has already been some “disciplining” of my kid I’ve disagreed with - like being made to run laps for not hearing instructions on an extremely windy day.

I’m feeling really anxious about their expectations for my kid at their house because there’s no way they’re going to sit quietly for an hour while they get lectured on strategy.

Am I being unreasonable? I also prefer to know people fairly well before my kid goes over to their house, I have no idea if this person will have functional A/C on a 95 degree day, whether they have animals (whole family is severely allergic), whether the family has items that would make me uncomfortable in the house, etc. I don’t want to bombard them with questions and seem high maintenance but at the root - is this even a reasonable expectation for a kids sports team?

This is one of those all volunteer parents, sub $200 leagues, not one of those crazy $1200+ travel leagues.

What would you do? Keep the kid home or send them to the coach’s house? A parent would stay if we decide to go (which is a whole other thing - I’m exhausted from a long week plus weekend of work and have absolutely zero interest in socializing tonight with the other parents - but I’d do it if I had to.)