Athletic Support: What you look for, you will find
eli.cranor@gmail.com


Dear Athletic Support: With everything else that’s going on this year, my son’s football team has been decimated by transfers. These are boys he’s grown up playing peewee football with, and now they’re leaving to go to surrounding schools. They all have different reasons. Some went to smaller schools to get more playing time. Others transferred to bigger, more successful programs. There were even a few that just had issues with the coach at our school and left because they didn’t want to play for him anymore. This is a far cry from what I remember back when I was playing ball. Whatever happened to playing for the home team? Whatever happened to team spirit! Seems to me like we need to stick together now more than ever. Is this the new normal? What’s going on here?

— Dazed Daddy


Dear Dazed: These days, loyalty is hard to come by. I don’t know exactly what shifted, but it happened long before COVID ever hit. Five years ago, I was a head high school football coach, and I was battling this same sort of problem.

Our team was struggling to win and players were transferring left and right. Like you said, they all had their reasons, many of which were valid. Still, it irked me to see kids who lived in my school district playing for the crosstown rival.

From a player’s perspective, I’m sure it hurts on both sides. Young athletes who stayed put probably felt abandoned. While anyone who left had to deal with being the new kid at school.

The worst part was, some of these athletes didn’t get a say in the matter. Their parents made them move. The parents were the ones who had issues with the coach or thought their son might get a better chance at a scholarship at a different school.

I’m sure it worked out well for some, but there were many kids who ended bouncing around throughout their careers, never quite settling into a perfect fit. For any parent/athlete considering transferring to a new school for sports, just remember, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.


Dear Athletic Support: I keep trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel that is 2020, but I’m starting to think that light just might be a train. My daughter is having a tough enough time making the transition back to school. She hates wearing a mask, she can never remember her password for her virtual assignments, and she says the teachers are all grumpier than usual. Combine this with the fact that we’re supposed to be travelling multiple times next week for her volleyball games, and I’m ready to throw in the towel. My daughter hasn’t mentioned quitting, but if she does, I will be happy to pull the plug. I know this isn’t much of a question, but I just wondered if you were hearing similar sentiments from other parents out there?

— Looking for the Light

Dear Looking: I hear from disgruntled parents, teachers, and administrators daily. The flip side is, I also hear from parents, teachers, and administrators who are extremely encouraged by what they’re seeing at school.

So what’s the rub?

I don’t remember where I heard this next line, but it’s stuck with me: “What you look for in this life you will find.”

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Keep looking for the good and sooner or later we’ll all get through this.


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"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:
• 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