Hoping my son quits basketball eli.cranor@gmail.com November 7, 2021 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.”

Dear Athletic Support: Hello again! I’m the same dad — “That Dad” — who wrote in last week asking about tiered practice times for players who aren’t starting. Great response to my question, by the way. I followed your advice and went to meet with the coach. As you guessed, the coach wouldn’t budge, and now my son is asking if he can quit basketball. We’re only a few weeks into the season. We haven’t played any games yet, but I’m still having a little trouble letting my son quit something after he’s already started it. To give a little more history here, my son didn’t really want to play basketball to begin with. The basketball coach found him (because my son is so tall, I’m guessing?) and convinced him to try out for the team. Now that my son has given basketball a try, I honestly don’t think I can tell him he has to stick the rest of the season out. And I can’t say I’ll be too sad about it either, especially considering their practices start so early in the morning.

— That Dad Too

Dear That Dad Too: I’ve received this sort of question before, and my go-to answer is always that the young athlete should stick it out until the end of the season.

However, your situation feels a little bit different.

Your son obviously doesn’t want to keep playing basketball. He might’ve never wanted to play, so forcing him to continue through an entire season could be extremely painful for all parties involved.

The other problem is your issue with the early practice times. If you’re not committed to getting him to practice, then there could be some bad blood on all ends.

Then again, allowing a child to quit (anything) comes with repercussions. It’s undoubtedly the easy way out. Once you’ve quit something once, the next time will be easier. You don’t want your son developing bad habits, so what do you do?

Stick the season out, but play it on your own terms. If your son has to miss a practice here and there — fine. Let it ride. Try to get your son to enjoy the game for the sake of the game. Focus on his teammates, his friendships, the extra exercise.

Try to make this junior high basketball season as painless as possible, and who knows, your son just might wind up having fun!

Dear Athletic Support: Did you write a novel? If so, how can I get my hands on it?

— Avid Reader

Dear Reader: I did write a novel; it just hasn’t come out yet. Don’t Know Tough is a mystery/thriller that centers around a high school football team in Arkansas.

The publication date is set for March 2022. If you’re interested, Don’t Know Tough is already available for preorder wherever books are sold.

When next March rolls around, I’ll be sure and give all the “Athletic Support” readers a proper heads up. Promise!


Previous columns:

• I wish my son practiced less
• When should my son start football?
• No ‘bad faces’ in basketball
• Son wants to join football team midway through season
• Housekeeper can’t make daughter’s game
• Auditions getting in the way of volleyball
• Foul language on the sideline
• Laundry Stinks
• Fit more important than price when it comes to cleats
• Facebook ads and too many practices
• Coach pushing vaccine on players
• Youth sports like a cult
• Coach’s pregame speech too crazy for kids
• Championship rings and multiple sweatbands — too much?
• Working out over the Dead Weeks?
• Summer School Blues
• Practices running late causing problems
• Softball games going past midnight
• Are athletes getting better with age?
• Are team sports a vital part of childhood?
• Summer schedule way too serious
• What if I can’t afford private speed camps?
• Quarterback lacks speed
• Should pro athletes talk politics?
• How to take a hit
• Wrestling in college, what’s the point?
• Removal of mask requirement could cost us games
• Overachieving daughter stinks at sports
• Why are we playing all the small schools?
• Freshmen don’t make varsity, usually
• Kids have changed, haven’t they?
• Esports and disc golf bigger than football?
• Little pitchers have big ears
• Pregame music offensive
• Fouls in girls basketball
• Red Shirting
• Coach makes political post
• 7th grade girls basketball woes
• Multi-million-dollar buyouts don’t make sense
• Private schools have the upper hand
• Best of 2020

Athletic Support Columns 2020


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