I appreciate your perspective. As a former coach and the dad of a former college athlete, also not basketball, I think I have a real appreciation for what these kids go through. Many of them have had so much success playing the game they love, a game that in many cases is their life, a game to which they even attach some of their self worth, that when they struggle, their very worth as a person can be affected. And they lose confidence, even in themselves. And THAT can become a downward spiral.
I truly feel badly for Eli. I hope he works his way through this. I’m pretty sure he has teammates and a coaching staff that are doing everything they can to help him through it, but it’s hard.
There is no question that fighting through those things that are hard makes you stronger. I often said to my students that if something is hard for you in class, it means your brain is growing. You may not get it…yet…but you will. Don’t give up. Keep trying.
Rather than criticize the Eli, I personally prefer to support him and to continue to hope that he will find it. I prefer to point out things that he does well, like play defense, or the other aspects of the game for which Coach B commends him.
I’m just not giving up on Eli or any of our players. When guys make disparaging comments about him and post his stats and his struggles, I am bothered by that. That’s just who I am, and, guess what, I’m not giving up on that, either.
I won’t apologize for supporting our players, all of them, whether they start or barely get off the bench. But I do feel badly that I get miffed at folks who not only seem to be giving up on them, but who criticize them publicly, especially when I don’t think that criticism helps at all.
And, yes, I know it’s a public forum. It’s social media. And, yes, I’m old and didn’t grow up with social media. And, yes, I know it’s America, and within reason, in accordance with the law, folks can say what they want. This is just my two cents worth. Take it or leave it.
