Athletic Support: Hard to adjust to new coach eli.cranor@gmail.com May 1, 2022 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: My daughter’s basketball coach left for a new job a couple of months back. Our new coach just got here last week. I have nothing against this woman. My daughter doesn’t either, but she has taken this change really hard. My daughter has been with the same coach throughout her whole career. I want her to give this coach a chance, but I’m also a little leery myself. How can I make this transition as smooth as possible for my daughter?

— Mrs. Leery

Dear Leery: You can watch your mouth.

Parents influence their children more than we know. And, yes, this even applies to teenaged offspring.

Whether you realize it or not, your words and opinions greatly impact your daughter’s viewpoints. Granted, she might not admit this, but she is listening. She’s also watching how you react to this coaching change.

If you treat it as no big deal, or maybe even spin it as a positive for the basketball program — then your daughter will too.


Dear Athletic Support: How necessary are off season workouts and practices? My son is wrapping up his first varsity football off season program this semester. They’re gearing up for Spring Ball now, and if I’m being honest, I think he’s already worn out. Heck, I’m worn out from hauling him around to all these different events. He has workouts until 4:30 PM every afternoon. They’ve also had a weight-lifting meet, a fundraiser, and a community service project. I’m thankful the coach is trying so hard and offering all these different opportunities for the team, but the coach really pushes hard for perfect attendance. He expects every player to attend every event. What’s up with that? It would make a lot more sense to me to have these as “extra” opportunities for the kids who want to attend. Then, come actual football season, require one-hundred-percent attendance. The games are what matter, right?

— From the Van

Dear Van: “Culture” is a word that gets thrown around a lot in team sports, and culture is developed in the off season.

Culture is how a team thinks. How the players react to adversity. The offseason, the weight room, all of those extracurricular events (yes, even the community service) — they are all team building opportunities.

Your son’s coach sounds like he’s doing everything he can to make sure his team is rip-snorting and ready to go come fall. It’s a misconception that the boys simply show up and play the games on Friday nights.

In fact, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The best teams are forged in the off season when the bleachers are empty. No one is there to watch a workout, and that’s exactly why it’s so important.

So, to answer your question, it’s up to you (and your son) to decide how much time he invests in the off season. But I can promise you this: time he spends with his team won't be time wasted.

Previous columns:

• I wish my son would quit travel ball
• Seniority causing rifts on the team
• Transfer Portal and NIL: the death of college sports
• Replays slowing basketball down
• Did you write a football novel?
• Dads stacking teams causing problems
• When’s a good time to talk, Coach?
• Cat’s in the cradle
• Calling it quits after that halftime show
• I won’t watch the Olympics
• Pickup games causing trouble in neighborhood
• Do coaches still cut kids from teams?
• Son falling behind, again
• Forced to play on fractured ankle
• It’s not about winning in seventh grade
• Daughter can’t keep weight-loss resolution
• The Polish Goal Line Tactic
• Is dance a sport?

Athletic Support Columns 2021
Athletic Support Columns 2020


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