Beloved volunteer coach leaving children alone
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
You are one of three volunteer coaches for an under-10 soccer team in a community league. The head coach, Gerald, founded the league 30 years ago and is loved by the families. Twice this season, after evening practices, he told the other coaches he would wait with the last child until a parent arrived. Both times, a parent later found their child waiting alone in the dark parking lot. Gerald insists he waited and that the parents must be confused. Last week he also called two players by the wrong names and seemed unsure which field the team was using. The league board is made up of his longtime friends. What would you do?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Empathy and compassion
- Communication
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests whether you'll protect children from the lapses of a loved and powerful figure while treating him with dignity. Start with the children, since twice a child was left alone in the dark, and decide what has to change before the next practice. Separate the safety problem from any guess about its cause, which you aren't in a position to explain. Name everyone involved: the children, their parents, Gerald, the other coaches and a board made up of his friends. Consider an immediate fix, such as two adults staying until every child is collected, and how you'd raise your concern with Gerald directly and then with the board. If the station has Gerald ask you for patience, weigh his dignity against whether the risk to the children can safely wait.
More on colleague conduct and patient safety
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