Athletic Support: Shift to virtual learning causing lag in young athletes
eli.cranor@gmail.com


Dear Athletic Support: My son is two weeks into this new “virtual learning” style of education. He’s in seventh grade, and honestly, I don’t think it’s good for him. We decided to keep him in school, but now all his work has shifted completely to computers. What’s worse, I think it’s impacting him physically. He’s not sleeping very good, and he says his back hurts. His football season just started a few weeks ago, and I’ve never seen him act so lazy on the field! Not going to lie, I really think all the time he’s spending on computers is hurting his game. Is that even possible?

— Tired of Technology


Dear Technology: The biggest problem I see with this new shift to virtual learning is an uptick in sedentary behavior. Computers and social distancing guidelines, by nature, restrict movement within the classroom. As a result, kids are sitting for longer time periods throughout the day.

As you probably know, a sedentary lifestyle brings with it all sorts of negative health implications. However, the few weeks your son has spent glued to a screen at school probably aren’t long enough for him to have any serious problems.

His athletic performance is another story.

Hip flexibility is one of the most important attributes of a successful athlete. We use our hips to run, jump, and move laterally. The good news is, everybody starts off with great hips.

Want proof? Just look at babies. Have you ever seen a baby with stiff hips? No way! They can do the splits without batting an eye. As time goes on, though, most of us grow stiff. And this mostly has to do with sitting.

Different stretches can greatly help loosen up stiff hips. A simple squat will do wonders! Urge you son to check with his teachers about taking standing breaks. Surely, they’ll allow him time between assignments to move his legs and stretch.

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!

Okay, 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:
• 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