TEAM UP: A Drug Prevention Manual for High School Athletic Coaches

Abstract:
In 1984, the National High School Athletics Coaches Association, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other national organizations worked in partnership to develop an action plan to prevent student athletes from using alcohol and other drugs. The plan that resulted from this partnership--Team Up for Drug Prevention with America's Young Athletes--has been implemented by many schools across the country and had made a measurable difference to thousands of young people and their families. The program has had a double impact upon teenage athlete community. First, due to the program, many students have chosen not to use alcohol or other drugs at all. Second, those students who have made poor choices to use alcohol and other drugs have received caring guidance and treatment, allowing them to return to healthy lifestyles without social alienation and stigma. The three basic rules of this drug prevention program are: --Coaches must talk regularly with athletes about alcohol and other drugs; --Athletes must use positive peer pressure to influence the behavior of their teammates and other students; and --Coaches must work with team leaders to encourage them to be role models for the rest of the team. This article gives information on how to implement this program and how to make it effective.

Author(s): U.S. Dept. of Justice DEA, Demand Reduction Section

Publication: DEA Resources, For Parents & Teachers, Team-Up


Date Published: 8/21/2002

Pages: 29

Location Code: 6603