Prompt
You coach a high school soccer team that has reached the championship final. The night before the game, your best player tells you privately that she has had headaches and blurred vision since a collision at practice two days ago. She begs you not to tell anyone, because university scouts will be at the game and a scholarship depends on it. Her parents have told you that this scholarship is the only way she can afford university. What would you do?
Practice this question
After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Communication
- Empathy and compassion
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests whether you'll put a teenager's safety ahead of her own wishes, her family's finances and a scholarship she has every reason to fight for. Name the people involved: the player, her parents, her teammates, and you as the adult responsible for her. Say aloud that you aren't qualified to judge how serious her headaches and blurred vision are, and that this uncertainty is exactly why she shouldn't play until someone qualified has seen her. Weigh her request for secrecy against your duty as a coach, and explain why a minor's safety outweighs that promise. Show how you'd talk with her kindly and help protect her future, for example by asking the scouts about another chance to watch her. If her family pushes back, acknowledge their fear and hold your position calmly.
More on children and families
All 9 questions on this topicMock interviews
If you want to practice with a person, we run mock MMI and panel interviews with feedback on every answer.
