So I work as the head tennis coach for a nonprofit that provides free tennis lessons and a literacy program for low income kids, some of whom have significant trauma and behavioral issues.
The kids are honestly great and I haven't had any major problems with them so far (aside from the stuff that comes with the territory of working with kids from this kind of background), but the organization itself has been a nightmare to deal with.
The first red flag was that they hired me to be the head tennis coach about a week before the camp started. I was kind of in a bind because I was about to take a full time job but I found out I got a great fellowship instead, so I needed something to do until that started (I just graduated college btw).
Since then, it's become even more apparent how poorly it's run. To start, there just simply isn't adequate shelter for the kids to sit out and there isn't a dedicated classroom building for the kids. There's no shade out on the courts, and the "classroom" is the tennis building where people come in and out to book courts for the day. The temperatures regularly hit 100 with 95% humidity, and these kids are 6 to 9 years old max. They also just switched their lunch provider to a local foodbank, so the kids have been eating crackers and peanut butter for lunch and then going back out into the heat. I'm shocked one of these kids hasn't had a heat stroke yet.
I understand that there are budgetary concerns and that it's very generous of the city to let them use the courts for free, but there are ways to address this that aren't expensive. I've asked for pop-up tents and extra water coolers only to be told that they would bring them out in a few days. A few days comes and goes and these kids are still cranky from the heat and the total lack of adequate shade.
I give them at least a ten minute break every 20 minutes, but the organization has been on me because none of the kids are moving up to play on the big court yet (we use red nets that we have to assemble). Most of these kids hadn't played tennis until two weeks ago, and I'm very pleased with their progress given the heat and the lack of facilities. I'm really proud of them.
The other issue is that I'm the only staff member with tennis experience, and the staff I do have are either 17 year old volunteers (who have been great honestly, but are still young) or AmeriCorps people who actively don't give a shit about the job. I had to let go of one of the AmeriCorps people on Friday because of how bad he was. He would disappear for hours at a time, would flat out ignore me when I told him anything (I caught him sleeping under a table and told him to go home, he refused), he refused to work because his 17 year old girlfriend broke up with him (he's 21), he vaped on the court, had no boundaries with the kids, and I overheard him call one of the campers the n word to another staff member. It's been ridiculously bad.
The other staff were starting to take their lead from him and his terrible work ethic, so I got approval to fire him on Friday. He was also my ride out there, so they told me they would cover my transportation for the remainder of the summer.
So I texted the acting camp director saying that I hadn't heard anything (my paycheck is already a week late) asking what had been decided since it would be very difficult for me to get out to the campsite tomorrow. He texted me back lecturing me about reliable transportation (which I had before this fucking idiot called a kid the n word) and said they would reimburse me up to $50 a week and that if that were unacceptable then they would find another arrangement for the camp, directly threatening to fire me.
I'm doing my best out here despite everything that's going on. I definitely haven't been perfect. There have been times when I've been exhausted and haven't communicated as well as I would have liked with the other counselors, but I honestly think I've done my best.
There are six weeks left of camp and I need the money. Should I quit? Or is it worth sticking this thing out for the sake of the kids?
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