Teaching Your Team About Drugs and Alcohol

Each year, nearly 8 million high schoolers participate in team sports and more than 10% of them play soccer. These kids define school spirit and, thus, can be huge catalysts for change both in and out of the classroom.

As their coach, you have a very special relationship with these students at the most impressionable time in their lives. If you want them — and the whole student body — to succeed, it’s crucial that you address drugs and alcohol.

Of course, this can be a touchy subject, but many players will be more likely to listen to you because they know you have their best interests at heart. Here’s how to teach your team about substances and create a safe space for potentially tense conversations.

1. Discuss the Risks

Many teens use alcohol and substances like marijuana and nicotine to experience the mental and physical effects. However, most aren’t aware of the many risks that come with using such substances recreationally.

Frequent use among teenagers can affect brain development, increase other risky behaviors like unprotected sex and contribute to adult health problems like heart disease and sleep disorders. Discuss these and various other risks with your team and speak from a position of concern and care for their overall wellbeing.

2. Debunk the Myth

Movies and TV shows often depict substance use as a common occurrence and something that all cool kids do, leading many teens to believe the same is true within their social circle. Eventually, this insidious peer pressure convinces them to experiment with drugs and alcohol. However, most adolescents aren’t consistently drinking and taking drugs.

 If coaches made this point clear, players might have less of an  urge to try these substances. Debunk the cultural myth that everyone’s doing it and remind them that engaging in illegal behavior is anything but cool.

3. Offer Support

If a player approaches you privately and shares that they’re struggling with substance use, you may have grounds to kick them off the team. However, if they want to quit and abide by the rules, it may be best to keep them on the team so you can provide support and keep a close eye on them.

Sometimes, however, disciplinary action will include removal from the team. In this case, the student will still require help. Continue to play the role of coach by pointing them to a counselor or therapist. Offer support as they battle cravings and avoid triggers. Then, if they do manage to find help and quit, consider letting them rejoin the team. In most cases, being in a positive environment will help them stay active and maintain sobriety.

4. Involve Older Players

Another effective way to teach players about substance abuse is to involve your varsity team. Have older  players reinforce the idea that drugs and alcohol aren’t cool and let them share stories of how they’ve seen or experienced the negative effects of substance use. They can also discuss how these things can let other people down, including parents, teachers, coaches,  teammates and even friends.

Frequently remind your older players that they’re role models and pair them up with a younger player to encourage both of them to stay sober and take responsibility for their actions.

5. Set Clear Expectations

Of course, you should also establish clear expectations that players won’t use alcohol or drugs. Some adults might find it difficult to set these expectations, especially if they’ve used or abused substances before. However, if you don’t set a standard, students won’t understand the rules or the consequences.

Outline your rules, expectations and guidelines in the player application form and make sure they align with school standards. Include potential consequences if players do break the rules so that everyone understands the code of conduct upfront.

6. Confront Players and Enforce Rules

Establishing the rules and consequences is one thing. Enforcing them is another. As the coach, it’s your responsibility to confront players if you smell marijuana, see or hear word of alcohol consumption or suspect that someone is engaging in substance use.

Speak up immediately and voice your disapproval of their words or actions. Then, if it’s clearly evident that they’re using substances or violating team standards, you must enforce the rules and have them pay the consequences. Be consistent and don’t brush things under the rug. Otherwise, your players will have no reason to live up to these standards.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Between 19 and 24 months, children begin to mimic behaviors they observe in others. While they often imitate to learn new things, they also do so to feel like they’re part of a social group. The same is true of adolescents. As they grow and mature into adults, they keep a close eye on and take behavioral cues from parents, teachers and other authority figures.

As a coach, it’s crucial that you set a good example and refrain from excessive alcohol and drug use. Talk to your assistant coaches and make sure everyone’s on the same page so all of you can instill good habits in those impressionable youth.

Author Bio:

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.