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athletic support by eli cranor


Athletic Support: Coach isn’t coaching
eli.cranor@gmail.com


Dear Athletic Support:
My daughter’s basketball coach isn’t coaching. Which sounds weird, right? But I’m serious. She just sits in the chair the entire game and randomly substitutes players. I swear I think she’s just going down the line and subbing whoever’s chair is next. Why would a coach do this? Surely there are other jobs she could do within the school district if she’s no longer interested in actually coaching. Is there anything I can do to try and have her removed from this position?

— Pitiful


Dear Pitiful: Coaching is no different from any other profession. People get burned out. But I’m with you. A past-her-prime coach can have a huge (negative) impact on her student athletes.

I coached for five years, and I can honestly say I gave one-hundred percent during that time. Then, one day, we’re at a team camp in the summer, and I knew, right then, I was done. A week or so later, I had resigned from coaching and accepted a position as an English teacher.

Any coach who really cares about the players knows they can’t do their job halfway. However, there’s not much you, personally, can do to remove a coach for being lazy, besides stirring up trouble with administrators and school board members, which I wouldn’t advise you to do.


Dear Athletic Support: There is a player on my son’s high school basketball team who starts but isn’t very good. Not only does he start, but he also plays most of the game. He doesn’t have a shot. He’s not even that great at defense, but he’s still out there. The only reason I can come up with is that this kid’s dad is a teacher at the high school. The dad is one of those “cool” teachers and has a lot of local support. Would a coach really play politics like that and start a player just because his dad is respected within the district? I hope not. If that is what I’m up against here, what can I do?

—Wish I Were “Cool”

Dear Wish: I’ve heard of coaches’ kids getting special treatment, but I’ve never heard of a teacher’s child getting extra playing time. This doesn’t mean it never happens, but it just seems like a stretch to me. I guess I might be wrong. Maybe there are some teachers who’ve been in a school district forever and carry more clout than I can imagine. But in the end, coaches want to win. Period. So unless this “cool” teacher has some serious blackmail on your coach, I seriously doubt the juice would be worth the squeeze.

If this coach is playing favorites and the team starts to lose, he’ll have a lot more to worry about than a disgruntled “cool” teacher on his hands; his boss might come calling for his job.


Eli Cranor is a former professional quarterback and coach turned award-winning author. Please use the “Contact” page at elicranor.com to send in questions for “Athletic Support.”


Outside of athletics, kids’ brains are also at risk. Who knows what sort of impact virtual learning will have on their cognition and critical thinking skills. In this regard, I offer one simple tool — a good book! And luckily, I know just the book for kids struggling with the shift to virtual learning:

  BOOKS MAKE BRAINZ TASTE BAD!

books make brainz taste badOkay, you caught me… I’m the author of this book. It was published last week and awarded a #1 New Release ranking on Amazon. BMBTB deals directly with the same topic covered in this column, except in a much more lighthearted, kid-friendly way (zombie teachers and brain-munching screens!)

If you end up purchasing this book for your children or grandchildren, I only have one final suggestion — ask them to read it while standing up!

Eli Cranor's new book Books Make Brainz Taste Bad has just been released. ZOMBIES HATE BOOKS! Especially the zombie teachers at Haven Middle School. That's why they're using VR headsets to fry kids' brainz. Luckily, Dash Storey knows how to save his classmates from the zombie teachers—BOOKS! They make brainz taste bad!

"Eli Cranor has an almost unbeatable advantage. He can remember how it felt to think like a twelve-year-old and he can see the very same events like the adult he is. Don't try to resist this book!"
- Jack Butler, Pulitzer-Prize nominated author
 





Previous Athletic Support Columns:
Parents who refuse to wear masks to games
My son doesn’t wear a jockstrap
The ‘game’ is over, let’s shake hands
Can grandpa come to my game?
Can’t go to her games like I used to
ACL injuries on the rise in youth sports
High school hot seat?
Daughter rolls ankle: Time to walk it off?
College football cancelled but my son’s still playing
Shift to virtual learning causing lag in young athletes
What you look for, you will find
Back to school woes
Football guidelines a breeze compared to band
What to do if your season stalls
Left behind
Travel ball leads to constipation
Collegiate sports for fun or money?
No right answer
Sunburns not part of the game
Summertime soreness
Vulnerability is key in uncertain times
Sick of COVID-19
Racial tensions rise as sports gear up again
Silver lining for post pandemic sports
Wearing masks to practice
Coach disappears after season is cancelled
What happens to the team if a player gets COVID-19?
Will there be football in the fall?
With sports gone, son’s grades tanking
Lost without sports
Teddy bears and tessellations
Cornavirus? We’ve got games to play!
Girlfriend getting in the way
A parent’s role when sports are over
Talk to your grandkids, carefully
At what age should sports stop being fun?
What ever happened to going door to door?
Lack of respect for track
Should my son take supplements?
I need your help
Help! My daughter wants to play football
Transferring to a smaller school: the good, the bad, and the ugly
What’s that smell? It’s not as bad as you think
A break from school but not from sports
Should a coach pray with his team?
Coach tells player not to shoot
Do nice guys (and girls) really finish last?
Coach cancels post-season awards banquet
No cellphones in the locker room!
Fake scholarship signing?
Withholding football as punishment
Sick and tired of losing
Late bloomer, a blessing or a curse?
Scholarship hopes dead, now what?
Is my son a butterfly chaser?
Don’t force sports on your kids
Hunting or Football?
Beat the Heat
Idle Hands
Coach’s son gets special attention


Published December 13, 2020












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