Ok, so I pull up at the ball park for my son's baseball practice and see the dark clouds closing in. We walk onto the field, he starts warming up with about 5 other kids. We hear thunder and then see some lighting. My phone goes off with weather alert. I walk over to the coach about it and he plays it off...even makes a joke about the kids standing by the fence. I got my son and left the field without saying a word to him. Minutes later, we're in the truck and everybody is making a dash to the parking lot with rain, wind, and lightning. I just don't get it???

I'd pulled both of my sons off the field without hesitation. No one is stopping me of that.

My .02, put your kids on a different team.

Some guys are just ignorant...and then something bad happens.

He seems like a good guy, it's only our third practice for fall ball, but just ignorant like you said. His own kid was there. I think a lot of people in general underestimate lightning. Sure, I know its a long shot, but why risk it? When I coached my son in Tee ball about 4 years ago, I had an opposing coach try to "get in an inning" before the storm arrived. I told him I was not putting my kids in the field and he gave me a strange look. Of course, the parents thanked me and got to their cars before that storm hit...that storm was way worse than today's but lightning is lightning. No game or fish is worth it. I'll fish all day in rain, but if I hear thunder and see any flash...I'm gone!

Well said. I agree 100%

 "I got my son and left the field without saying a word to him"

 

Very wise move

I did the same thing long ago with my son, except that I did say a little something about it. 

 

C22

Good call, as I said in a similar post, my wife watched a friend be struck by lightening during a soccer game in her teenage years. It's never left her. Nothing is worth that.

I see the same thing on a local lake.  You can see the clouds coming and hear the thunder, and people are still putting boats in, and going out on the water.  Five minutes later they are all trying to get back to the boat ramp while its raining buckets.

thats people for you..always thinking they're invincible

I would suggest having a nice chat with the coach and try to educate him. When my dad was 18 he was near a lightening strike and was knocked unconscious and temporarily paralyzed, his father was killed by the same lightening. 15 years later Dad's brother was killed by lightening. Powerful stuff and can strike out of nowhere.

Captured this on my GoPro from my recent Canada trip.  The one and only lightning bolt that sent us right back to the docks. I don't mess around with lightning on water.

 

Lightning can strike 5 miles from the storm.

 

Once you hear thunder seek shelter even if the storm seems to be far away.

I've read that if you can see lightning, it can reach you. Don't know if that is actually the case, but it's enough to run my old arse off the water.

I don't know how it is in your part of the country. Many of our parks down here in South FL are equipped with early warning lightening detection systems. Besides speaking with the Coach, I think you should also speak with the Parks and Recreation Director as well to look into those Early Detection Systems.