Eli Cranor’s Athletic Support: “Christmas Break?”
Dear Athletic Support: My son's basketball coach has six practices scheduled over Christmas Break: three before Christmas and three after. With everything that's happened this year, we were really hoping to just get some time off over the next two weeks. I've seen a bunch of posts on social media blasting teachers who've assigned homework or projects over the holiday, and I feel like these practices are much the same. The players, parents, and coaches need a break at the end of this crazy year. Don't you think? —Give Me A Break Dear Break: Remember the old story, “The Tortoise and the Hare?” The one where the slow but steady turtle wins the race against the rabbit who's constantly jumping out ahead of the competition?
That timeless parable is the perfect analogy for what every coach and player is up against at the end of 2020. This year has been anything but normal. People are exhausted, both mentally and physically. They're at wit's end.
The best way to overcome this sort of fatigue — any fatigue, really — is by actually resting. I realize this isn't easy for highly-motivated athletes and coaches (I battle with the exact same problem in regard to my writing workload), but if there were ever a time for rest, this is it.
My advice here goes further than just preparing for the upcoming season. Many of us have been hunkered down, trying to weather the latest spike in COVID cases. If you're transporting your son to basketball practice, there's a better chance your Christmas plans could get cancelled.
Time with family isn't worth a couple of holiday practices. For that reason alone, I'd urge you to withhold your child from participating. I know this won't be an easy or popular decision, but the results could be well worth the sacrifice.
After spending quality time with his family, your son might come back from the break feeling better than ever.
Dear Athletic Support: My daughter is nine, but she's very serious about sports. For the last few days she's been planted at the kitchen table trying to come up with an “athletic” New Year's resolution. Any suggestions? —Just Tryin' 2 Help
Dear Help: First off, I'm impressed that your daughter is actively trying to better her game by setting goals. Planning for success is one of the best ways to actually achieve it.
When making goals — or in this case, resolutions — one thing to remember is that they need to be tangible. In other words, your daughter needs to be able to tell if she's actually reached her goal.
A resolution like, “I want to be a better player,” won't do her any good. Instead, I would urge your daughter to make a work-based goal. Something that involves a daily number of repetitions or time spent honing her craft. If she's a basketball player, something like, “Make fifty free throws a day,” would be a great place to start.
Whatever she decides, just make sure your daughter can actually gauge whether or not she's achieved it by the end of 2021.
Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Eli Cranor is a former professional quarterback and coach turned award-winning author. Send questions for “Athletic Support” to eli.cranor@gmail.com or use the contact page on elicranor.com.