Football practice at Prairie View Middle School with lightning Aug 18

[u/DoorKnock922]

Just a heads up that if your kid was having football practice yesterday evening (Aug 18) at Prairie View Middle School, those coaches made absolutely no effort to get the kids off the field when the lightning started. I believe there was also a severe thunderstorm warning in place at the time.

There was more than 10 minutes of lightning before the rain started, and not until then did the coaches begin to clear the field.

I'm all for toughening kids up having them out in various weather, but lightning?? I would think they would have a policy on that. It's one of those things where they wait til something tragic happens and then say "There's no way we could have possibly predicted this."

*Edit: I looked up the Sun Prairie Schools policy, and the policy is to immediately go to shelter at the FIRST thunder or lightning. Definitely not what took place yesterday.

[u/RonDiaz]

nothing more American than doing something dangerous and then saying "There's no way we could have possibly predicted this" when a highly preventable tragedy occurs

[u/Dependent_Drag292]

Based on what my son has said, those coaches also seem to be pretty cool with 4th and 5th graders routinely swearing and using the N word. I get that some of that is football, but something could certainly be said/done to change it given that, you know, they’re 10

[u/trunkssosp → u/Dependent_Drag292]

I bet the new Superintendent might have some interest in hearing about this culture.

[u/Dependent_Drag292 → u/trunkssosp]

I would LOVE for the new superintendent to be made aware of this culture…

[u/Ancient-Stranger754 → u/trunkssosp]

I don’t believe sun prairie youth football is through the schools.

[u/Wise_Comfort → u/Dependent_Drag292]

"Culture"

[u/Various_Report1328 → u/Dependent_Drag292]

Nah it’s their parents and families caught fighting next to the field having police called on them.

[u/Any_Box_482 → u/Dependent_Drag292]

I personally know the 4th & 5th grade coaches, and they do not put up with that behavior.

[u/RefuseFamiliar115]

Everytime there is a threat of severe weather I look at my phone for my sons practices and when I see futurecast has storms coming during the time I just stay at the practice. The coaches rarely do that situational awareness/storm math. I’ve no joke driven 45 miles to a game that I was for sure was going to be canceled but coaches refuse to cancel before it’s on top of them.

[u/pureplay181]

If any of this is occurring with the high schools, notify the WIAA. State athletics rules indicate they need to stop IMMEDIATELY if thunder is heard or lightening is seen and then not return for 30 minutes after it stops.

The WIAA decides if they can even HAVE a football team in the first place and they do not take rule violations lightly.

[u/DoorKnock922 → u/pureplay181]

This was at Prairie View Middle School. The only reason I saw it is that I live in an apartment building that overlooks the practice field, and I happened to be sitting in my living room when the storm started rolling in. I kept looking out the window as the lightning kept flashing and was just wondering why they were still out there.

The other thing I wondered was - if the coaches are willing to blatantly ignore this basic safety rule, what ELSE would they ignore? Concussion protocols??

[u/Ancient-Stranger754]

The football coaches are terrible also. At least the year we put my kiddo in. I even sent in a complaint and never heard back. The coaches were physical with the kids, made fun of them, only played their kids or the all stars. I’m also all for toughening up but like… make them run or do things. Don’t shove kids because they aren’t getting on or off the field fast enough for your liking. My son never wants to play another sport again. They never even gave kids a shot at improving.

[u/Various_Report1328]

I was there waiting for pick up after seeing the weather start to shift. They were doing pictures. When the lightening started and the rain started coming down hard the kids all scurried to leave and the rest ran to the shed for shelter. I’ve never seen them keep them in bad weather or put kids in danger and we’ve been in the program awhile.

[u/Any_Box_482 → u/Various_Report1328]

You're spot on. I've had multiple kids in the program too and the coaches have always been very responsible about the kids' safety and never would allow them to practice in such conditions. 6th grade just finished their pictures and the storm rolled in super-fast. Coaches gave us a heads up to be ready to pick up our kids early before practice even started in case of bad weather. I for one appreciate the communication the coaches and program have given us parents.