Bloody hormones made me teary earlier. Very embarrassing
So we get to tennis today, DD is in a great mood from school. I don't say much, just tell her to enjoy herself and if she needs me i'll be right there and so will her coach.
Coach gets all of them to sit down at the start and has a talk about not behaving themselves in line etc. Coach has another talk during the lesson about behaving in the line.
They then start lining up behind eachother to hit balls which coach is hitting to them. I notice that the boy is trying to hit at her legs with his racquet from behind her. Coach makes sure they are apart in the line. But obviously there will always be a time when they're next to eachother as it's a small group. At one point, this boy is standing behind DD, and he takes his racquet and hits her on the head with it. Not hard, but bloody hell, don't fucking touch my child. SO I shout across the courts, LEAVE xxxxx alone. JUST leave her alone. And I go over and I tell DD to go and tell the coach. Boy is sort of sniggering...and says "how can she tell her" . He thinks coach can't be interrupted during the lesson. I tell DD, go now.
(sorry this is long)
DD tells coach. Coach is dealing basically single handedly with 6 children so waits until the end of the lesson and tells the boy to apologise to DD. Boy refuses to apologise if he was my child, that would be his death wish there and then.
(meanwhile, coach hasn't seen his parents to have a word with them yet. And his parents weren't there todday until right at the end).
All this time, DD to her credit hasn't gotten flustered and is just focussing on her game. I was so proud of her today, I tell you. She just got on with it and played her tennis.
Anyway, the boys dad comes to pick him up and as we're leaving the boy tells me to shut up. Hello??? . He says it several times. So I walk ahead to his dad (who I don't know at all as it's usually his mum who brings him in) and say to him, excuse me have you heard your son telling me to shut up?
He asks boy, did you say shut up to the lady. Boy denies it. I say, you said it several times. THIS kid has no fear . So he admits it. His dad tells him to apologise and he refuses point blank .
Unbefuckinglievable.
Eventually his dad gets him to apologise but he's rolling his eyes and making faces as he does so . To use a much underrated term, he would have been deadmeat if he was my child. I was mortified for his dad. Who looked very embarrassed (sp?)..
Anyway, dad came over to my car and I told him about all that has been going on. He apologised profusely and was very good about everything. He explained that this boy's older brother is aggressive with him and he is perhaps taking it out on someone else that he can
He said that they'll talk to him and sort it out. Although the way the boy refused to apologise and showed no respect or his dad, my expectations on that front aren't high.
So I said to the dad, all I want is for his son to ignore my DD. Just leave her alone, just stay away from her. That's it. What he does beyond that, I don't care about.
Spoke with coach, who will take it up on Monday with the parents and get back to me. Coach suggested changing the boys group. I said that won't solve the problem for the boy, as he clearly has ishhooz. But that I don't care, as long as my daughter can enjoy her tennis without fear of intimidation or physical aggression.
I also told DD that if he approaches her again she should tell him that her dad will come and get him. And I have told DH he has to make time from work to take her to tennis and let this kid see who DD's dad is, in case he doesn't cease and desist. DH is a big, muscley man who on many occassions has told off teens for dropping litter etc and they listen when he speaks. I hate to resort to this but I just won't have anyone lay a hand on my child and feel helpless.
THE QUESTION IS? Should I put all this in writing to the coach, maybe cc. the club head of tennis so that it's documented? WHat would you do?
Give yourself a pat on the back if you made it this far.