A San Francisco father says park rangers warned him that he could face a $192 fine while he was teaching his own children tennis on a public court.
Sam Dogen was practicing with his six-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son at Golden Gate Heights Park when two San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department rangers approached him and asked whether he had a permit to provide tennis instruction.
Dogen said the courts were empty and he had been feeding tennis balls to his children for about 20 minutes when the rangers arrived. One ranger reportedly told him that teaching tennis without a permit could result in a $192 fine.
San Francisco prohibits tennis instruction on public courts without a permit, but the Recreation and Parks Department said the rule is intended to prevent unauthorized commercial coaching.
A department spokesperson described the encounter as routine, explaining that rangers may ask questions to determine whether someone is providing paid instruction or simply coaching their own children.
Dogen was not fined or cited. The interaction ended after one of his children confirmed that he was their father.
Dogen later criticized the encounter and said he does not intend to apply for a permit to teach his children tennis at public parks.