Sean Cooke was just 13 when he decided to take the case against his soccer club, Carrigaline United, through his dad, Declan Cooke.
The Cork teen says he suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after he was dropped from the team. This week, the now 18-year-old lost his case in court.
He had argued that he was not given the chance to display his skills to UK talent scouts which has had a long-term negative effect on his life.
The Irish Independent reported that Coach Tim Mawe said that everything possible was done to accommodate Sean at the club after he suffered an injury and was unable to play for a period of time.
Judge Sean O'Donnabhain said it was an "emotional" and "difficult" case. He said Sean's father Declan Cooke was undoubtedly a "caring parent" but that he was not "over blessed with insight." He said a duty of care was not shown to have been breached.
My son is football mad.
Although still in primary school, he plays it every weekend with his local team. If he was benched I would be mildly upset on his behalf but trying to imagine the stress of encouraging him to take a court-case is unfathomable. Interfering in his beloved hobby would also be unthinkable.
There is a fine line between encouraging your child to stand up for what they believe in and simple common sense.
Had this boy really felt his career was impacted to such a great extent, surely taking more productive action like making sure you got yourself in front of another scout at some stage would have been a better use of energy. Did the family really gain anything by such a long-drawn out case very much in the public eye?
I'm sure the financial implications were extensive and a court case that involved your peers and coaches would have been hugely stressful to any teenager - perhaps even more stressful than sitting out a few matches.
It begs the question if we, as parents, are too involved in our children's day to day injustices?
Is this a case of litigation culture gone mad or is it simply extreme helicopter parenting (a style of parenting where parents hover over their children smothering their ability to make their own decisions)?
Either way, this boy has been through a very difficult few years and I just wonder was it all really necessary?
We would love to hear what you think - a storm in a teacup or a really brave move?
