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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think parents put too much pressure on children’s football coaches ?

8 replies

Goolagoo · 15/06/2024 16:21

Not a major one , just bored whilst having a coffee!

My son attends football training every weekend . They’re all aged 8-10 ( he’s 9 ) . We had to get the bus today as my car was in for MOT - on the way it was raining , but hadn’t had a text to say it was cancelled . By the time we arrived it was absolutely pouring down , I wanted to turn around and go home but I would have had a day of crying from my son as he eats , sleeps and breathes football and looks forward to this all week. They didn’t cancel and we stood in a field with no shelter for an hour . The kids were drenched ! The field was pretty much just mud . When I say pouring , I mean bouncing off the floor pouring ! It’s 5 hours later and I’m still cold . I wouldn’t have been any more wet if I had jumped into a lake fully clothed!

I know it was my choice to stay ( well , my sons 🤣) - I’m not criticising the coaches - but speaking to other parents they said some have moaned in the past about not being refunded when they stopped early or cancelled due to rain so they don’t now unless it’s really bad before the sessions start .

its £5 ! What do parents expect - a £2.50 refund if they only play for half hour ? Most of us wanted to go but because the children knew it wasn’t cancelled , we couldn’t really . I feel like this is a lot of pressure for the coaches - we pay in advance so they would have to refund if any cancelled and this is their income … so do you think it’s unreasonable that parents complain so much that coaches feel they can’t cancel even in extreme weather like this ? Because I really don’t ! Surely , what’s best for the child ? I know cold doesn’t cause colds but I can safely say none of us feel great !

OP posts:
Goolagoo · 15/06/2024 16:28

I would also like to add that for this £5 per week they really do learn good skills , the coaches are great . They have awards ceremonies and received medals and trophies at the end of each season , they have links to teams and put children forward .. they have different types of activities - it’s not just kicking a ball around for an hour . They charge no extra for any of this ! I personally would not expect a refund if it was cancelled due to rain , not at this price , I also wouldn’t expect a refund if my son couldn’t attend as it’s £5 . Last season they charged me a week less because they had to cancel one week due to rain , they had never done that before and I can only imagine that it’s because of complaints . They have 3 sessions on the same day and around 15 children in each so for one day of rain that’s £225 they lose out on . I also heard from another parent that some complained that it wasn’t a cash refund , instead just rolled over . I get that if you aren’t coming back ( well , I don’t I still think it’s only £5 but I guess if you have 3 children going it’s £15 ) but if you’re coming back what’s the problem ? This still means that the company are losing days pay though !

I just feel it’s really unfair on the coaches .

OP posts:
IsabelleHuppert · 15/06/2024 16:29

Gosh, I don’t recognise this at all. DS eats, breathes and sleeps football, and they train twice a week and usually play once, but his coach will cheerfully cancel if weather is awful, and try to reschedule if he can, and I think all the parents are really grateful for his enthusiasm (to the point of actually getting a three-game ban once for verbal attacks on an admittedly apparently semi-blind ref)… He was so ashamed a couple of the parents took him to the pub.

brunettemic · 15/06/2024 16:29

Sounds like he’s not playing matches yet, just wait and see the pressure parents try and put on the refs…!

Goolagoo · 15/06/2024 16:32

brunettemic · 15/06/2024 16:29

Sounds like he’s not playing matches yet, just wait and see the pressure parents try and put on the refs…!

He’s not yet , he’s tried out for a few he got in one and then the team folded before he started ! I have heard that the parents can be awful! I haven’t got the energy for that 🤣

OP posts:
Goolagoo · 15/06/2024 16:33

IsabelleHuppert · 15/06/2024 16:29

Gosh, I don’t recognise this at all. DS eats, breathes and sleeps football, and they train twice a week and usually play once, but his coach will cheerfully cancel if weather is awful, and try to reschedule if he can, and I think all the parents are really grateful for his enthusiasm (to the point of actually getting a three-game ban once for verbal attacks on an admittedly apparently semi-blind ref)… He was so ashamed a couple of the parents took him to the pub.

Oh wow !

I wish they were like this I won’t lie - this was NOT how I wanted to spend my Saturday morning 🤣 why couldn’t he be in to something that was indoors !

OP posts:
IsabelleHuppert · 15/06/2024 16:35

brunettemic · 15/06/2024 16:29

Sounds like he’s not playing matches yet, just wait and see the pressure parents try and put on the refs…!

DS is playing matches, in fact they’ve won their division every year since he’s been playing with this team. Parents are enthusiastic, and competitive, but very supportive of the coach, who puts a huge amount into it, and who helped revived the children’s game locally because this club hadn’t had under 14 teams for years.

Blanketpolicy · 15/06/2024 16:39

ds loved training in the rain (which is more often than not in Scotland!).

We were lucky there was parking right at the training field (although it occasionally meant the car got hit by a ball!) and we would get into one car for a chat while they were training, or any parent who had bused in would be invited into a car not left in the rain!

For matches we invested in good wind proof golf umbrellas, wellies, waterproof jackets with hoods and gloves which were always in the boot ready to wear!

brunettemic · 15/06/2024 21:08

Goolagoo · 15/06/2024 16:32

He’s not yet , he’s tried out for a few he got in one and then the team folded before he started ! I have heard that the parents can be awful! I haven’t got the energy for that 🤣

A few years ago his league was cancelled one week because a number of refs refused to come. That was under 9s maybe, can’t remember. He’s under 12s now. Generally people are ok, it tends to be when the ref is younger that they apply the pressure.

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