Athletic Support: I wish my son would quit travel ball eli.cranor@gmail.com April 24, 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 son has mentioned quitting baseball a couple of times over the last month. We’re not even in the thick of the travel ball season yet, but I know it’s coming. All those tournaments in the heat. All those never-ending weekends spent in hotel rooms, our sunburnt cheeks sticking to the cheap bed sheets. Ugh. I know it sounds like I’m complaining (okay, I guess I am complaining), but I really wish my son would quit travel baseball. Does that make me a bad mom? Probably. And I know I shouldn’t be writing all of this out on here, but I don’t live in the town where your column is published. I’ve just read it a few times online when my sister shares one. So I don’t think anyone will figure me out. Honestly, though, I don’t care if any of the other moms figure out how I feel. Deep down, I know they feel the same way too! Listen, my son doesn’t even play that much. And when he does, he’s way out in the outfield. I can barely see him out there. My husband loves baseball. He loves it more than my son. I know if my son ever really tried to quit, his dad would lose his mind. What should I do? I think my son really does want to quit. That’s why he keeps bringing it up, but he doesn’t want to upset his dad. Then again, maybe I’m just hoping my son quits. Okay. I’ve already said too much. Now it’s your turn. What should I do?

— Cray Cray

Dear Cray Cray: You should support your son. That’s it. That’s all you have to do.

It doesn’t matter if your husband is a baseball fanatic, or if you don’t really enjoy travelling to all the tournaments over the summer.

It isn’t about y’all — it’s about your son.

If he likes travel ball and is just being whiney, then urge him to stick it out. You only get to play youth baseball once, and from what I hear about travel ball, there’s a lot of baseball to be played in that league.

If, on the other hand, he just kind of likes baseball, then maybe it’s time for him to drop out of the travel league. That doesn’t mean he has to quit baseball altogether. Most towns still have community teams that play each other. That’s what I did growing up (there was no such thing as travel ball back then).

The final option is for him to quit baseball outright. This is a big decision, one that should not be taken lightly. The only way to figure out if it’s the right decision is for you and your husband to lay down your own agendas and talk to your son.

If your son does end up quitting baseball, I would urge you to help him find a new activity. Idle hands are the devil’s playground.


Previous columns:

• 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


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 Eli has a new book coming out March 8th. Don't Know Tough is a football-themed thrilled reminiscent of Friday Night Lights. The book is published by Penguin Random House and is available on Amazon.com.