Avram > I have a hard time believing that a Rosh Yeshiva would “give a lesson” to a father and teacher in front of his son and a talmid
I was there in the room. Rav Gans did not lecture the father, he addressed the child directly in a very friendly manner and lead him to make a commitment to interrupt soccer and daven for a couple of minutes. The question was not about “ideal”, the question was what was appropriate for that kid at that time. The father was a very intense person capable of learning hard lessons and went thru enough of them in his life already, so I presume the Rav knew that the father will get the message and he indeed did. He and I discussed it without the kid.