To want to change coach?

[BonAppetit]

DS (12) has weekly tennis lesson on a Saturday with same coach for 5 years or more. Coach texted late Friday evening that he had family problems and had to cancel. As I had arranged to play tennis with friends on next court I took him to play as well. Coach was there teaching someone else. My son was visibly hurt and I think everybody all round was embarrassed. There was no way coach would have expected us to turn up.

Coach did approach me (not DS) and told me it was not how it looked!? The child he was teaching was already there and well to me it sounded like a load of crap basically. I wish I could be more up front but just told him not to worry, waved it away and went back to our game.

I talked to DS afterwards who put a brave face on it but seems up for changing coach. I am worried it is me making a fuss. But this man lied to us and should not be trusted - am I right?

Seems a pity to offset 5 years of good relationship because he was caught out for a little white lie... Then again, you're the paying customer and if you don't want to keep using him, find someone else.

I wouldn't call this a white lie. If he inadvertently double booked then surely the 5 years of good relationship would have been sufficient for him to just say so and ask if it would be okay for him to coach the other boy? Perhaps the other boy is a new client and he wants to please that family but its a highly inprofessional way to act. And in tennis coach-student relationship is everything isn't it? If you son now feels like he is not priority to the coach then why should you carry on the relationship. I would sit the coach down and ask him why he lied. If his answer to you is decent and you and your ds can live with it then carry on the relationship. However, I must say drawing his own family into the lie is not very nice and not a great example to be setting young children imo.

I would speak to the coach tbh. Tell him that your DS was upset that he had been lied to but that ideally you don't want to sabotage the last five years.

Ask him why he lied? I know it's hard to be so forthright but I am personally trying to stop pussy-footing around people who deserve a straight confrontation.