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The Right Stuff For Coaches
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The Right Stuff for Coaches
Athletic coaches have a special relationship with athletes and students
but often underestimate their influence on these young people. They are
a role model in the eyes of a young athlete, and occupy this leadership
role at a very significant and impressionable time in the athlete's life.
Coaches have the power to motivate, stimulate, and positively influence
youth through sports. Everyday coaches play the role of teacher, leader,
friend, and mentor to young people.
A coach working with youth can:
- Bolster confidence and motivate. Encouraging players to perform at
their best and recognizing them for a job well-done can do so much to
boost a child's self-esteem. Coaches can help youth set personal goals
that are realistic and attainable.
- Teach concentration and relaxation. A coach can teach young people
to focus their attention to keep them composed and performing at their
best. These and other mental skills like progressive muscle relaxation
and breathing exercises can give young athletes tools that they can
use in all areas of their lives to help them to better relax under pressure.
- Provide perspective. At every level of play, athletes get stressed
out when they put their ego on the line. Coaches can help young people
separate their self-worth from their performance and redirect their
attention to the fun aspects of the game. If a game is built up too
much, or if a "must win" situation becomes too important,
chances are ripe for disappointment and a quitting attitude later on.
- Prepare them for success. Through mental rehearsal and visualization,
a coach can show youth that positive self-talk and constructive thoughts
can influence outcome. Coaches teach young people how to put it all
together and achieve their potential when it counts!
When you talk to your players and students about the dangers of drugs,
the message is more effective because "Coach" is behind those
words. What you tell your athletes about the use of alcohol and other
drugs is very important. Don't take the subject lightly - the lives and
future of the young people you coach are truly at stake. Equally important,
the standards you set by your example will become the guide for their
behavior. If you want athletes to stay away from alcohol or other drugs,
you must send that message to them clearly and forcefully. If they do
not hear your opinions on this important subject, your athletes will assume
that you don't care.
Why Athletes Use Alcohol and Other Drugs
Athletes can be overwhelmed by feelings of pressure:
- Pressure to win.
- Pressure to perform well.
- Pressure to maintain a "cool" image.
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Some athletes turn to drugs, including alcohol, to relieve stress and
feel good. Sometimes when they come off the playing field, they want to
sustain that good feeling by turning to a mood-altering drug. If their
team has lost the game, they want to replace their depressed feelings
with something that feels good. Many of them turn to alcohol. Some of
them turn to other drugs.
By clearing up your players' misconceptions about the effects of drugs
and explaining how drugs really affect them, you might be able to keep
your team drug free. Explain:
- Alcohol and other drugs may make them feel good for a while, but
unpleasant feelings usually follow the good ones.
- Drugs don't solve problems; they create problems.
- Drugs don't relieve stress; they mask and create stress.
- Drugs don't help with the coping process; they obstruct the coping
process.
The use of alcohol and other drugs will not enhance their performance
on the playing field. (With the possible exception of one type of drug
-- anabolic steroids.)
- Alcohol and most drugs actually interfere with an athlete's physical
and mental ability. Even though steroids may improve short-term performance,
the long-term physical and mental damage they cause far outweigh any
gains. Except for limited medical applications, dispensing anabolic
steroids is illegal and punishable under federal law.
Keep Your Team Drug Free
These "do's" and "don'ts" are commonsense guidelines
for handling situations you might encounter:
Don't: Pretend that you didn't hear party plans that will involve alcohol
or drugs.
Do: Immediately address the problem and explain that the plans are inappropriate
and unacceptable for a member of your team. Explain that you are concerned
and that you care. Ask if the athlete needs any help.
Don't: Choose to ignore the smell of alcohol, smoke, or marijuana.
Do: Confront the athlete immediately. Make sure that the athlete knows
that you know. If you fail to act, the athlete may assume that this behavior
is OK, or that you don't care. Explain the ramifications for the use of
the substance from the school and legally. Ask if the athlete needs your
help.
Don't: Keep secrets from assistants and team members, and avoid talking
about past chemical abuse incidents. Avoid the subject of alcohol and
other drugs, or just mention it at the beginning of the season and never
mention it again. Deny the problem exists.
Do: Make sure chemical use isn't a secret or taboo subject. Encourage
open discussions about alcohol and other drugs among our team members.
Let your athletes know that you are always accessible to talk with them
privately if they want to confide in you. Chemical abuse incidents that
have occurred in your schools are relevant and meaningful to your athletes,
and they can learn valuable lessons when they are discussed.
Don't: Avoid enforcing the rules - or enforce them selectively.
Do: Be firm, set limits, and stick to them. Be sure that the rules you
set are helpful in changing an athlete's behavior. The goal is to teach
someone not to use alcohol or other drugs, not to alienate or stigmatize
him or her.
Don't: Use alcohol inappropriately at clinics, summer activities, and
victory celebrations. Ignore drug use by the coaching staff.
Do: Ensure that everyone on your staff sets a good example. Your players
will heed not just what you say, but what you do.
Responsibilities of the Coach
You are not only a coach, you are also a teacher. As an adult, your primary
concern should be your responsibility toward the young people whose lives
you strongly influence. This doesn't mean that you have to be a trained
counselor. You don't have to be an expert in treating drug problems, but
you must be able to recognize the signs of alcohol, steroid, and other
drug use.
- You must be responsible for publicizing school policies and procedures
about substance abuse to ensure that members of your team, as well as
other students, clearly understand policies and consequences.
- You must be responsible for developing and implementing measures to
eliminate the use of alcohol and other drugs on school premises, at
school functions, and at athletic activities.
- You must be sensitive to those students who work hard but fail to
make the team. Make sure that other adults in the school, such as the
athletic director or counselors, know which students might be feeling
rejected. Treat athletes who don't make your team with the dignity and
respect they deserve as individuals.
- You must be empathetic to students who have already been affected
by problems with alcohol or other drugs. It a student comes from a family
where there is substance abuse, the athlete is probably not getting
the support he or she needs from home. Consult with a counselor to determine
what sort of help is most appropriate.
- You are the person who is trusted among the student athletes, and
young people who are in trouble with substance abuse may approach you.
You send a student who is having difficulty with math to a trained person
who can help him or her. Likewise, you need to send a student who is
having drug or alcohol problems to someone who is trained to help him
or her. It is your responsibility to know where your athletes can go
for help; for example, school counselor, health staff member, drug abuse
coordinator in your school, core team in your school, intervention team
in your school, or local agencies that help young people with drug and
alcohol problems. Have a list of community resources, including names
of contacts and phone numbers, that you can give to an athlete or a
parent who asks your advice.
- When a recovering athlete returns to the team after treatment, it
is your responsibility to understand that athlete's special needs. Emphasize
to other team members the importance of accepting the recovering athlete.
Ask them to show their support for his or her new drug-free lifestyle.
Make sure the athlete knows that he or she can talk with you whenever
he or she feels tempted to revert to his or her old habits. Let him
or her know that you are proud of the strength and courage it took to
make a change in his or her life.
- Share your responsibilities with your assistant coaches. Their commitment
of time and effort will make your program more successful, and they
will work cooperatively with you as effective components of the drug
prevention team.
The Basics for a Successful Athlete Drug Prevention
Program
1. USE YOUR TEAM LEADERS. Meet with all your captains and talk about
the use of alcohol, steroids, and other drugs.
- Ask the captains to make a commitment to work together to ensure
that their teammates abide by the training rules during the sport season.
- Meet with your captains regularly.
2. REGULAR AND HONEST COMMUNICATION. Talk openly and honestly with your
athletes about alcohol, steroids, and other drugs at least once a week.
Most young people learn about the use of dangerous chemical substances
from the street, not from responsible or accurate sources. Street information
rarely includes facts on the physical and emotional harm caused by chemical
use. Athletes should know the full and accurate story about alcohol and
other drug use. Only with this information can they make healthy decisions.
- Talk about past and present substance abuse incidents.
- Keep the alcohol- and drug-free message before them throughout the
year.
- Communicate to your athletes that you really care about their chemical
use. Students need to know that adults care about their good health.
3. POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE. In order to be effective, it is essential
that you encourage your athletes to use positive peer pressure on their
teammates.
- Ask your athletes to turn negative peer pressure around -- to pressure
their friends to avoid drugs, including alcohol.
- Team members have the right to apply peer pressure to teammates who
are not following the rules. If some team members violate the training
rules, the rest of the team can experience serious morale problems.
4. TRAINING RULE ENFORCEMENT.
- Report all violations to your athletic director or principal.
- Don't give special preferential treatment to the stars.
- Be firm, but be empathetic with a student who is reprimanded. Let
him or her know that you know how he or she feels. Let him or her know
that you care.
5. RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS. Know the signs and symptoms of the use of alcohol
or other drugs.
- Mood swings from very high to very low
- Changes in personality
- Apathetic and listless behavior
- Loss of coordination
- Red eyes or frequent use of sunglasses
- Excessive sweating
- Tardy to practices or games, or missing practices or games
- Sudden drop in grades
- Change in group of friends
- Lots of talk about alcohol and other drugs
- Dropping out of activities
- Frequent visits to the school nurse
- Hyperactivity or nervousness
- Neglected hygiene
- Subtle cries for help. Listen to them; they'll tell you they have
problems.
Know the signs and symptoms of steroid use.
- Abnormal weight gain
- Dramatically increased muscular definition
- Severe acne
- Loss of hair
- Increased aggressiveness
- Breast development in males
- Problems with menstrual cycle in females
** Note: The existence of one or more of the preceding symptoms does
not necessarily mean that a student is using alcohol, steroids, or
other drugs, but these signs and symptoms should send up a signal
that something is wrong. Don't jump to conclusions. Do take the time
to investigate the cause or causes of significant changes or symptoms.
6. BE FAIR TO EVERYONE. Treat substitute athletes with the same praise
and respect as star athletes. Give everyone the same positive feedback.
Likewise, the team rules must be applied to everyone.
7. BE PREPARED. Have a definite plan ready when one of your athletes
is suspended for use of alcohol, steroids, or drugs. And make sure that
your students know the consequences of their actions.
- Investigate the incident.
- Talk to your athletic director, then go to the principal.
- Involve the student's family.
8. TALK IMMEDIATELY WITH THE ATHLETE. When you overhear students talking
about an athlete who has broken training rules, immediately discuss the
situation with the athlete.
- Confront the athlete and tell him or her that his or her behavior
is against the rules.
- Explain the consequences of his or her actions.
- Tell him or her that you care about him or her.
9. FOLLOW-UP ASSISTANCE. After you discipline your athlete, offer your
help. It is important for the athlete to know that you do not disapprove
of him or her; you disapprove of what he or she has done. You are not
going to reject him or her. After the athlete has been disciplined, he
or she needs your help to regain his or her dignity and get his or her
life in order. Call your athlete at home to let him or her know you care.
10. PARENTAL COOPERATION. Make sure parents co-sign the athlete's training
rule pledge card.
11. HEALTHY ACTIVITIES. Promote healthy, chemical-free activities for
athletes after contests. Ask your team members for suggestions. They need
to be active in the decision-making process. Ask the Booster Club to help
organize "fifth quarter" activities.
12. BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL. Your actions speak louder than your words.
A word of caution: If an athlete confides in you, you must not promise
him or her that you will keep his or her discussion confidential. Tell
him or her up front that you are interested in what is best for him or
her. Encourage him or her to talk; but let him or her know that you can't
help him or her if you are bound by secrecy.
Suggestions for Coaches
1. Communicate to the parents of your athletes what you are planning
to do. Without their support and commitment, your program will be less
successful.
- Talk to the parents at "Meet the Team Night", be honest
in describing the alcohol and other drug situation at your school. Clearly
explain the program that you are implementing for their sons and daughters.
- Make sure parents understand the team rules and the training rules.
- Be available to answer their questions or address their concerns.
- Find ways for them to become involved in your program (chaperoning,
driving, party-giving).
2. When talking with individual athletes, listen carefully for subtle
cries for help.
- Your athletes may not feel comfortable telling you they are in trouble
with alcohol or other drugs. But they will give you hints that they
are looking for help.
- As you talk with them, they will bring up subjects that concern them.
When you realize they are trying to confide in you, give them an "open"
lead, to help them talk more easily. You might say:
I remember that you asked me about drinking the last time we talked.
This subject must be bothering you. Tell me more about how you feel.
Or, I'd like to help you if you or your friends have a problem with
smoking during the sport season. You asked me questions about that
the last time we talked. Do you have other questions, or would you
like to talk more about it?
Your players see you as someone who can help them. They trust you. Listen
carefully to them and pick up the hints that they give you.
Suggestions for Captains
1. In order for the drug prevention program to be effective, captains
must use positive peer pressure on their teammates to keep them from using
alcohol and other drugs.
2. Captains must talk with their teammates, clearly explaining how they
feel about the serious problems of using alcohol, steroids, and other
drugs. Captains might say:
"My goal is for everyone to follow the team rules -- including
the captain. There will be no drinking, smoking, or drug using."
"If I hear of rule violations, I will do everything I can to
stop you from using chemicals, and that includes going to the coach."
"Our training rules are important. They make sure that we will
be the best athletes we can be; they make sure that we will have the
best team; and they will help us live healthy lifestyles."
"Sometimes people feel pressure to make the wrong choices. They
try beer or pot because they are with other people who are using these
substances. If you have made a wrong decision, tell the coach about
it and he or she will make sure you get help. Go to the coach first,
and you won't get kicked off the team if you get counseling."
3. Each captain must be a role model to his or her teammates and to his
or her fellow students.
- The entire team looks up to the captain.
- Younger students view captains as heroes.
- Captains must not put themselves in a position where they could be
accused of using alcohol or other drugs.
4. Captains should find healthy activities for their teams instead of
going to parties where alcohol is served.
- Do things together as a team, such as pizza parties or movies.
- Ask teammates for suggestions for weekly social activities.
- The Booster Club and coach can help plan drug-free activities. Captains
should ask for their help.
5. Captains must make it clear to their teammates that if any of them
think they have a problem with alcohol, steroids, or other drugs, there
is help available. If they receive help, they will still be on the team.
The captain must let teammates know that he or she and his or her other
teammates will help and support any athlete who acknowledges he or she
has a problem.
6. Captains must understand that being a captain is a year-round commitment
that doesn't end when the season is over. Being a role model isn't something
than can be turned off and on.
Acknowledgments
"TEAM UP: A Drug Prevention Manual for High School Athletic Coaches,
" U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Demand
Reduction Section, Washington, D.C. 20537
"The Coach's Playbook Against Drugs: Portable Guide," U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, NCJ 173393.
"Your Time - Their Future: Coaches Make Great Mentors," U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
For more information about The Right Stuff Campaign, call 1-800-648-4444,
TDD (402-474-1992).
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