Player asking to sleep at coach's home
- Kind
- Practical scenario
Prompt
You coach a girls' soccer team of 14-year-olds. At 11 p.m., one of your players texts you that she has had a screaming fight with her mother and has left the house. She asks whether she can come and sleep on your couch tonight. What would you do?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Professionalism and integrity
- Empathy and compassion
- Critical thinking
How to approach this question
This panel interview question tests whether you can respond to a 14-year-old who reaches out late at night without crossing a professional boundary that exists to protect her and you. A strong answer puts her safety tonight first and treats where she sleeps as a separate question. Talk through what you'd want to know right away, such as where she is now, whether she's in danger, and whether a relative or a teammate's family could take her in. Explain who you would bring in, such as her mother or another trusted adult, and when you'd contact emergency services. Then say what you'd do the next day, including telling the club and following its safeguarding rules. Land on a clear plan for tonight and explain how it keeps her safe while protecting your role as her coach.
More on professional boundaries
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