Imagine being a 15-year-old swimmer, juggling competitive practice and a paid job teaching kids, only to have a substitute coach demand you stay in the pool when you need to leave for work!
That’s the high-pressure moment one Redditor faced when she calmly but firmly walked out after her sub coach refused to let her leave early, despite knowing about her job. Prioritizing her paid role over practice, she stood her ground but now worries about fallout with her regular coach.
Was she wrong to defy the coach, or was her exit a masterclass in teenage backbone? Reddit’s cheering louder than a swim meet crowd. Want the full scoop? Dive into the story below!
This poolside power struggle is splashier than a diving board flop! Check out the original post:
The Redditor explained that she’s not only a swimmer on the team but also an employee at the same facility, teaching younger kids how to swim. With a work permit in place, she’s paid not just for the lessons but also for setup time before her classes begin.
That means being on time isn’t just about showing up – she needs to look presentable, set up equipment, and be ready to greet her students.
Her regular coach has always been supportive of this arrangement, letting her leave practice a bit early when her work schedule overlaps. But on this day, with a substitute coach filling in, things got tense.
When the teen explained she needed to head out, the sub coach brushed it off, insisting that ten minutes was “enough time” to get changed and set up for work.
Trying to strike a balance, the swimmer praised the coach’s expertise and acknowledged the workout’s value but made it clear that her job was non-negotiable.
When the coach continued to push, even asking her to complete one last set past practice’s official end time, she stuck to her decision. Calmly, she left the pool, showered, and clocked in on time for work.
Now, with the confrontation behind her, the swimmer isn’t worried about the substitute – she may never coach again. Instead, she’s anxious about whether her regular coach will hear a twisted version of events and see her as disrespectful or unwilling to follow rules.
For a dedicated athlete who values both her sport and her financial independence, that uncertainty lingers heavier than any extra laps in the pool.
Expert Opinion
Talk about a teenager handling a tense situation like a pro! This story highlights the tricky line teens walk between respecting authority and managing real-world responsibilities. The Redditor’s decision to stand firm, even when pressured, shows maturity beyond her years.
The substitute coach’s refusal to honor a pre-arranged agreement with the regular coach looks less like discipline and more like a power trip. It’s not unusual for substitutes in sports or classrooms to enforce stricter rules, but in this case, the lack of flexibility ignored the bigger picture: the teen had professional obligations outside the pool.
Research backs this up. A 2023 study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that teenagers who balance work with extracurriculars often face pushback from adults who see their jobs as distractions rather than commitments.
But employment at that age fosters responsibility, time management, and independence – all traits parents and coaches usually want to encourage.
By calmly telling the substitute coach, “I have to leave for work,” while still complimenting her skills, the swimmer modeled what leadership expert Dr. Amy Edmondson calls “respectful assertiveness.”
In The Fearless Organization, Edmondson emphasizes that healthy communication blends respect for authority with a willingness to hold firm on personal priorities. This teenager pulled that off impressively.
The larger issue is trust and communication between the swimmer and her regular coach. Adults often side with one another out of professional courtesy, which can leave teens feeling unheard.
Proactively explaining the situation – “I reminded the sub about my job commitment and had to leave when she disagreed” – could prevent misunderstandings. It shows maturity and reinforces that the teen wasn’t trying to disrespect authority but simply honoring her work contract.
Beyond authority dynamics, there’s the lesson of self-advocacy. Many teenagers hesitate to stand up for themselves, fearing adult backlash. But this swimmer prioritized her job, savings goal, and responsibility to the kids she teaches.
That’s an admirable choice. As workplace psychologist Dr. Jean Twenge points out in her research on Gen Z, young workers increasingly value autonomy and want to be treated like professionals, even as teens. This story shows exactly why: when they commit to a role, they take it seriously.
Of course, the swimmer may still face some fallout. Her regular coach could expect her to smooth things over, or she might be advised to be more diplomatic next time.
But her actions proved that respecting herself and her commitments doesn’t mean being disrespectful to others. In fact, she handled the situation with more poise than many adults might under similar pressure.
So, was she wrong to walk out? From a coach’s perspective, consistency matters, and athletes are usually expected to follow instructions.
But from a broader life-skills perspective, her choice showed responsibility, assertiveness, and professionalism. In the long run, those qualities will matter far more than one missed set at swim practice.
Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:
All three comments firmly say NTA, praising OP for handling the situation maturely, honoring commitments, and even using respectful communication beyond their years.
All these three comments back OP as NTA, stressing that career and commitments come first, the sub coach was overstepping.
All four commenters agree NTA, praising OP for handling the situation with maturity, encouraging them to loop in their regular coach.
Are these takes a perfect dive or just the internet’s splashiest advice?
This Redditor’s poolside standoff with a stubborn substitute coach turned her swim practice into a lesson in standing up for herself. Was she wrong to walk out after being told she couldn’t leave for her job, or was her calm defiance a teenage triumph?
With her work commitment and savings goal on the line, she prioritized like a pro, but the coach’s reaction lingers. Should she have compromised to keep the peace, or was her exit the right call?
How would you handle a coach pulling rank over your job? Drop your thoughts below and let’s swim through this drama!
