The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook: Creating Programs for 


Healthier Youth, Teams, and Communities
 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
 

Office on Smoking and Health
 

2007
 


 
The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook: Creating Programs for 

Healthier Youth, Teams, and Communities 

Author 

Katy M. Curran, MS, ATC, CSCS 

Division of Partnershps and Strategic Alliances 

National Center for Health Marketing 

Coordinating Center for Health Information Service 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Acknowledgments 

Valerie R. Johnson, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention; Leslie Brenowitz, Jill Herzog, Susan Long, Elaine Rahbar, Mylene San 

Gabriel, Virginia White, Todd Witiak, Social & Health Services, Ltd., A Division of ORC Macro; Lauren 

Dimitrov, MPH, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Center for Health Promotion, 

Education & Tobacco Use Prevention; Lauren Gregg, Virginia Girls Soccer Inc.; Tonia Hagaman, MPH, 

Local Programs and Special Projects Unit, Tobacco Control Section, California Department of Health 

Services; Brittany McFadden, Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation; Cynthia A. Musial, CHES, Wisconsin 

Division of Public Health-Southeast Region; Deb Rodda, MS, AT, R, Tobacco Prevention Kansas 

Department of Health & Environment Office of Health Promotion Southwest District Office; Susan Russell, 

EdD, MSPH, CHES, Russell & English Research & Evaluation Consulting; Christina Thill, Minnesota 

Department of Health; Ned Bergert, Los Angeles Anaheim Angels; Pat McCarty, Office on Smoking and 

Health; Stephen Babb, Office on Smoking and Health; Terry F. Pechacek, PhD, Office on Smoking and 

Health; Corrine Husten, MD, Office on Smoking and Health; and David Nelson, MD, National Center for 

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 

Suggested citation: Curran, KM; Brenowitz, L; Herzog, J; Long, S; White, V. The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook: Creating Programs for Youth, Teams, and Communities. rev. ed. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic 

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2007. Available at: www.cdc. 

gov/tobacco/youth/educational_materials/sports/00pdfs/CDC_Sports_Playbook.pdf. 


 
A Message from the Drector of the 

Centers for Dsease Control and Preventon 

We are pleased to present this updated edition of The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook and hope the 

tools and examples will be helpful as you reach out to our nation’s young people. These materials can be downloaded at www.cdc.gov/tobacco/youth/educational_materials/sports/00_pdfs/ 

CDC_Sports_Playbook.pdf and you can customize them to meet your specific needs. We encourage your 

participation in this initiative to promote sports programs through health departments, community organi

zations, schools, and teams as a healthy and positive alternative to tobacco use. 

Since the first edition of The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook was released in 2001, participation in youth 

sports in the United States has remained strong. Sports activities are still a great way to reach our nation’s 

young people with information about how to make important health decisions related to tobacco use, physical activity, and nutrition. Because health behaviors are usually established in childhood, positive choices 

must be promoted and reinforced before damaging behaviors start or become habits. 

Every day in the United States, around 3,900 youths aged 12 to 17 try their first cigarette.1

 If current 

patterns continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today’s children can be expected to die prematurely during 

adulthood from a smoking-related disease, including heart disease; multiple cancers, including those of the 

lung, mouth, bladder, pharynx, and esophagus; stroke; and chronic lung disease.2

 Nationwide, 8 percent of 

middle and high school students report being current users of smokeless tobacco.3

 Smokeless tobacco use 

by adolescents is associated with health problems ranging from gum disease to oral cancer.2 

By working together, we can get young people involved in positive activities like sports, and help them 

avoid engaging in risky behaviors.

­

 Julie Louise Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. 


 

Contents 

Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................1 

Creating a Game Plan for Success: Planning Your Program/Event....................................................................3
 

Identify Tobacco Control Needs in Your Community...............................................................................3
 

Develop Your Game Plan ............................................................................................................................7
 

Mobilize the Community............................................................................................................................8
 

Entertainment and Celebrity Endorsement.............................................................................................10
 

Organize Team and Stadium Events.........................................................................................................13
 

Worksheet—Tobacco-Free Sports Planning ............................................................................................15
 

Worksheet—Target Audience Profile .......................................................................................................16
 

Creating a Game Plan for Success—Sample Game Plan Elements for Anytown,


 USA Youth Recreation League .............................................................................................................17
 

Case Study: City of Milwaukee’s “Tobacco-Free Sports” Program Presents Kick Butts Day.................18
 

Leveling the Playing Field: Advocating for Tobacco-Free Policies....................................................................19
 

Pre-Season: Assess Your Starting Point and Establish a Coalition..........................................................20
 

Seed the Ground........................................................................................................................................20
 

Run Your Plays...........................................................................................................................................21
 

Post-Victory ...............................................................................................................................................22
 

Sample E-mail or Letter ............................................................................................................................23
 

Sample Postcard.........................................................................................................................................24
 

Sample Petition..........................................................................................................................................24
 

Case Study: Maryland—Smoking Stops Here Helps Get Policy Passed in Queen Anne’s County .......25
 

Case Study: Minnesota Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Program Promotes Tobacco-Free Policies ....32
 

Filling the Stands: Promoting Your Program or Event .....................................................................................32
 

Work with the Media To Promote Your Program or Event.....................................................................33
 

Media Advisory Template..........................................................................................................................40
 

Press Release Template...............................................................................................................................41
 

Sample Op-Ed............................................................................................................................................42
 

Place Radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs)................................................................................43
 

World No Tobacco Day: Sample Tobacco-Free Sports Live-Read Radio PSAs.......................................44
 

Equip Partners To Spread the Word..........................................................................................................44
 

Additional Marketing Ideas.......................................................................................................................45
 

Case Study: Maryland—Smoking Stops Here Introduces HERE Club Card .........................................46
 

Post-Game Analysis: Evaluating Your Program/Event......................................................................................49
 

What Is Program Evaluation?.....................................................................................................................49


 How Is Evaluation Done? ..........................................................................................................................50
 

What Decisions Can Be Made From Evaluation?.....................................................................................53
 

v 
Materials That Score ................................................................................................................. 54 

Sample Speech.................................................................................................................. 54
 

Tobacco-Free Policy Template ......................................................................................... 56
 

Certificate of Appreciation Template .............................................................................. 57
 

Tobacco-Free Player’s Pledge Template........................................................................... 57
 

Resources................................................................................................................................... 58
 

Campaign Planning ......................................................................................................... 58
 

Campaign Evaluation ...................................................................................................... 58
 

Policy Development......................................................................................................... 58
 

Tobacco, Health, and Youth............................................................................................. 59
 

Physical Activity and Sports ............................................................................................ 59
 

Youth, Amateur, and Professional Sports ....................................................................... 60
 

Publications and Media Resources.................................................................................. 60
 

Professional Associations................................................................................................. 60
 

Endnotes.................................................................................................................................... 61
 

v 
Introducton 

Every day, more communities across the 

United States are using sports to help kids 

say “no” to tobacco and “yes” to a healthy 

lifestyle. Community and school sports 

programs are a great way to encourage being active, keeping fit, and staying tobacco 

free. This edition of the Tobacco-Free 

Sports Playbook is filled with information 

and tools to help you plan, execute, and 

evaluate tobacco-free sports programs, 

media campaigns, and policies, as well 

as model plans and policies that you can 

incorporate into your own efforts. 

If you are with a health department, 

you already know that the popularity of 

sports makes it a natural vehicle for you 

to connect with kids. If you have decided 

to incorporate sports initiatives into your 

tobacco control program, the guidance and 

examples in the Playbook will show you the 

kinds of strategies that have worked well 

for others. These strategies can help you 

meet local, state, and national objectives to 

reduce tobacco use and increase physical 

activity. 

If you are a youth coach, you are well 

aware that your players look up to you. 

You can use your influence to teach them 

about the dangers of tobacco and how it 

negatively affects their performance on the 

field. The planning resources, checklists, 

and model programs in this guide will help 

you educate your players and their parents, 

as well as referees and other coaches, about 

the benefits of being tobacco free. You will 

learn how to adopt tobacco-free policies, 

promote positive tobacco-free messages, 

and form partnerships with others in the 

community who share these goals. 

If you are a school administrator, the 

Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook will help you 

launch a health education campaign or 

enhance an existing one to get more kids 

involved in sports and prevent tobacco use. 

These strategies can also help to prevent 

tobacco use by faculty, staff, and parents. 

You will learn what strategies have worked 

for other schools, how to market your campaign, and how to establish relationships 

and work closely with community partners 

that share your goals. These strategies can 

help you meet your school’s goals for promoting physical activity and for reducing 

tobacco use among youth. 

How To Use Ths Gude 

The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook will help 

you plan, implement, and evaluate tobaccofree sports policies, programs, and initiatives, whether small, large, or in-between. 

They will take you step by step through: 

•	 Creating a Game Plan for Success: Planning Your Program/Event 

- Identifying allies, partners, and 

sponsors. 

- Getting entertainment and sports 

celebrity endorsements. 

- Handling the details and logistics. 

•	 Leveling the Playing Field: Establishing 

Tobacco-Free Policies 

- Selecting realistic policy targets. 

- Establishing a coalition. 

- Gaining community involvement. 

- Taking your message to the media 

and decisionmakers. 

“I don’t smoke because I’m a professional soccer player. I know it 

sounds so simple to just say that. 

But my job is to basically run for 

90 minutes straight. There is no 

way that if I smoked I’d be able 

to perform at even one-tenth 

of the level I need to. Even if I 

wasn’t a pro, and I was just kicking it with my friends in a men’s 

league, smoking would take away 

from my game. Competition is 

what I’m about, and smoking 

takes away from that.” 

Clint Dempsey 

New England Revolution and 

U.S. Men’s National Team 


 
• Filling the Stands: Promoting Your 

Program/Event 

- Working with the media. 

- Placing public service announcements. 

- Leveraging partnerships. 

- Employing other marketing ideas. 

•	 Post-Game Analysis: Evaluating Your 

Program/Event 

- Conducting the six steps of 

evaluation. 

- Following a logic model for 

evaluation. 

- Making decisions based on your 

evaluation. 

Great examples of tobacco-free sports 

programs and policies come from all over 

the United States. This comprehensive 

initiative includes tobacco-free sports posters and other promotional materials, model 

policies for tobacco-free parks and sports facilities, and resource guides to help community leaders implement their own initiatives. 

The CDC’s Commtment 

The CDC Office on Smoking and Health is 

committed to promoting sports as a healthy 

alternative to tobacco use among kids. We 

work with many partners to support sportsrelated media and education programs that 

discourage children and teens from using 

tobacco. Our activities have been diverse 

and far reaching. 


 
Creatng a Game Plan for Success: Plannng Your Program/Event 

Sports involvement can provide a powerful 

vehicle for reaching youth with health-promoting activities and messages, as illustrated 

by the examples you will find throughout this guide. Since tobacco-free sports 

activities can take many forms—including 

disseminating smoking prevention messages, providing alternatives to smoking, 

and encouraging the adoption of policy 

changes—it is recommended that you begin 

by taking a step back to consider if and 

how sports can help you meet your objectives. At the health department level, how 

do tobacco-free sports activities fit into your 

overall tobacco-control plan? If you are a 

youth coach or school administrator, can 

you use sports to engage youth in positive 

activities or deliver messages about a healthy 

lifestyle, and how does this correspond with 

your sports league or school district 

mandate? 

Keep your goal in mind as you select the 

approaches that are most relevant to your 

target audience and the most likely to produce desired results. Ask yourself and your 

planning team some pertinent questions. 

What are you trying to achieve? Who is 

your audience, and what do you know about 

them? How can sports help you meet your 

goals? How will you measure success? 

Identfy Tobacco Control Needs n 

Your Communty 

An important first step in developing an effective tobacco-free sports event or program 

is to assess the needs within the community 

to help tailor your approach. This information will be the foundation of a successful 

program and will help you understand the 

information channels and barriers to your 

message among the target audience. Using 

this information, you can better set goals 

and objectives, determine the resources 

needed, identify partnership opportunities, 

plan and implement your program, measure 

your success, and plan for future activities. 

The better you know your audience 

and community, the better you can devise 

possible solutions to tobacco use concerns 

in your community, and the more effectively 

you can personalize messages, materials, and 

events and help ensure their success. Gather 

information by asking questions. 

Ask Questons 

If you are not aware already of a need in 

your community that requires attention, 

here are some sample questions you may 

want to answer to help identify an objective: 

•	 Do youth in your community recognize the dangers of tobacco? Do they 

perceive tobacco use as normal and 

expected among their peers? 

•	 Are parents aware of the influence they 

have over kids’ decisions to try cigarettes 

or other tobacco products? 

•	 Do retailers adhere to laws governing the 

sale of tobacco products to youth? 

•	 Are youth in certain population groups 

or geographic areas more likely to use 

tobacco products? 

•	 Do youth participating in sports activities observe adults using tobacco products at the same time? 

•	 Where in your community are youth 

exposed to secondhand smoke? 

•	 Does your community have any policies 

in place to protect youth from tobacco? 

•	 How many people are affected? 


 
•	 What prevents parents and other concerned adults from taking steps to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco 

use? 

•	 What are parents’ and youths’ values and 

plans for the future? 

•	 Whom do parents and youth trust to 

provide health information? 

•	 Where, from whom, and how do youth, 

parents, and other concerned adults get 

their health information? 

•	 What opportunities exist to develop a 

program that will overcome these barriers to tobacco use prevention? 

•	 What benefits and costs would parents 

and concerned adults consider acceptable for making tobacco control a health 

priority? 

Fnd Answers 

Finding answers to these questions is the 

beginning of developing contacts and ideas 

for your plan. Start with your local health 

department, social service agency, parks and 

recreation commission, or planning agency 

to find out about programs and policies in 

your community. Volunteer and advocacy 

organizations that have target audiences 

in common with your project’s focus, such 

as the Young Men’s Christian Association 

(YMCA)/Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl 

Scouts, and Boy Scouts, also may be able to 

share audience information. 

Following are some tips for finding 

answers to these questions through primary 

research and secondary sources. The secondary sources are addressed first because 

they are easier to address than the primary 

sources. 

Secondary Sources 

In addition to gathering information 

through the organizations with which you 

will work, target audience data can be found 

via: 

•	 Academic literature or studies (available through colleges and universities). 

Search through databases, such as Medline, which is free to the public at www. 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi. 

•	 Universities (public health and urban 

planning schools may have community 

data). 

•	 Existing national surveys that include 

data on tobacco use—such as the Youth 

Risk Behavior Surveillance System 

(YRBSS) (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/ 

yrbs/index.htm) and the National Youth 

Tobacco Survey (www. cdc.gov/tobacco// 

data_statistics/surveys/NYTS/index. 

htm#NYTS2004). 

•	 State or county level census data or 

health statistics, available in many public 

libraries or online at www.census.gov. 

Primary Research 

Secondary sources of information can provide helpful background information, but 

there is no substitute for talking with (and 

listening to!) real people—both those who 

are members of your target audience and 

those who are in a position to know your 

target audience and the issue of tobacco use 


 
in your community. Regarding the latter, 

consider whether you need to talk with appropriate officials, policymakers, politicians, 

and activist groups. You will likely want 

to attend city or county council meetings, 

meetings of the board of education, hearings involving your issues, and meetings of 

activist or lobbying groups whose interests 

could affect your work. 

Consider focus groups, intercept interviews, or surveys to gather audience 

data. To keep research costs to a minimum, 

consider working with local businesses and 

with the public health, education, communication, and business departments of local 

colleges and universities. You might involve 

retirees, school parent/teacher groups, professional organizations, voluntary organizations, and local business leaders in helping 

you gather or process the information you 

need. 

Ideally, skilled moderators should run 

your focus groups. However, budget constraints may make this difficult. An alternative is to seek the help of a psychologist 

or social worker skilled in handling small 

groups. To find guides or texts that will prepare the novice for running a focus group, 

search online for the keywords “moderating 

focus groups”—you can start with online 

booksellers. 

For more information on focus groups, 

check the online Community Toolbox 

developed by the University of Kansas with 

funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. See “Conducting Focus 

Groups” at http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/ 

section_1018.htm. This section includes 

information about how to run a focus group 

as well as a list of readings that you may find 

helpful. The Community Toolbox also includes a section on “Conducting Interviews” 

at http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/section_1047. 

htm. 

As an alternative to mailing out your 

survey or fielding it over the telephone, 

consider leaving multiple copies with service 

groups, community organizations, shopping centers, libraries, and other locations 

frequented by your target audience. Include 

a drop box for completed surveys or postage-paid envelopes for their return. 

Additional information on conducting 

audience research is included in the accompanying table. 

“Plain and simple, smoking is 

not cool and there isn’t one person I know that thinks it looks 

cool. It stains your teeth, causes 

bad breath, and affects your 

breathing. Tell me, would it be 

cool if I was running on the field 

and couldn’t catch my breath? 

No. Would it be cool if I was doing an interview and smiled and 

had yellow teeth? No. Would it 

be cool if I was doing an appearance and had bad breath? No. 

Smoking is NOT cool.” 

Ben Olsen 

DC United and U.S. Men’s 

National Team 


 
Audience Research Methods 

Method Description Use Method If Benefits and Limitations 

Focus Groups 

Groups of 8–10 

people selected 

from the target 

audience who serve 

as a sample. 

Small group discussion 

guided by a skilled moderator to learn about the opinions and needs of a group 

member. 

Group interaction is desirable. 

Participants can be assembled in one location. 

Subject matter is not so sensitive that respondents will withhold information. 

For example, use focus groups to: 

• Learn more about what your audience 

sees as the benefits of and barriers to a 

tobacco-free lifestyle. 

• Find out which components would make a 

new tobacco-free program interesting and 

accessible to your target audience. 

Benefits 

Allows in-depth discussion and insights into 

target audience’s thinking and motivations. 

Can enhance understanding of quantitative data. 

Limitations 

Relatively small number of participants means 

that findings may not be representative of the 

population as a whole. 

Qualitative nature of responses. 

In-Depth Interviews 

of 10 or more 

people selected 

from the target 

audience who serve 

as a sample. 

Individual interviews 

consisting of open- and 

close-ended questions. 

Interviews probe beyond 

a set of questions to reveal 

people’s ideas and beliefs 

about various issues. 

Group interaction is not likely to enhance 

responses. 

Topic is sensitive and people might not feel 

comfortable expressing opinions in a group. 

Gathering audience members at a central site 

is not feasible (e.g., as with health professionals or policymakers). 

For example, use in-depth interviews to 

uncover school administrators’ challenges in 

implementing tobacco-free sports programs. 

Benefits 

Can deal with more sensitive subject matters. 

Can be conducted by phone or in person. 

A good way to learn about policy makers and 

decision makers. 

May be more feasible than focus groups for 

professional audiences, such as physicians or 

policymakers, because interview time and place 

can be more flexible. 

Limitations 

Relatively small number of participants means 

that findings may not be representative of the 

population as a whole. 

Qualitative nature of responses. 

Time required to conduct interviews. 

Central Location Intercept Interviews of 

people identified at 

a key location (e.g., 

shopping mall or 

park visitors) who 

serve as a sample. 

Uses a brief questionnaire 

(5–10 minutes) with a 

structured set of questions. 

Questions are administered 

by an interviewer who seeks 

respondents at a “central 

location.” 

Reactions to specific materials such as posters, ads, or brochures are needed. 

Benefits 

Can yield a large number of respondents in a 

relatively short time span. 

Limitations 

Will not provide in-depth responses due to brevity of interview, but will provide “gut reactions” to 

topics or materials. 

Surveys of people 

identified at random or from readily available sample 

of target audience 

members. 

Uses a questionnaire with 

a structured set of questions. These may collect 

both quantitative data and 

qualitative data. Can be 

self-administered or inter

viewer-administered, but 

survey instrument is not 

intended to yield in-depth 

information as focus groups 

and interviews do. 

Quantifiable results are required. 

A baseline measure against which to track 

progress needs to be established. 

For example, use surveys to determine the 

extent to which members of your audience 

are aware of the risks of tobacco use and the 

benefits of sports participation. 

Benefits 

Can yield statistically reliable estimates if properly 

designed and administered. 

Measures levels, actions, and trends. 

Can provide a baseline for tracking changes. 

Limitations 

May be costly. 

May not yield high response rates, which are 

important to survey’s informational value and 

statistical reliability. 

­


 
Develop Your Game Plan 

Carefully planning your program is critical 

to success. Defining your program goals 

first means that you and those working 

with you can be sure you are clear about the 

mission. Then, breaking your work down 

into objectives, strategies, and tactics shows 

Design a plan based on your community’s needs and resources in order to specify exactly what steps need 

to be taken to implement your tobacco-free sports program. The format of the plan depends on the needs of 

your initiative, but no matter what format and tools you use, the following elements provide a good outline for 

your own program, large or small. They include: 

Program goal—the defining mission of your tobacco-free sports program. 

Measurable communication objectives—intermediate steps that define and quantify the various ways you 

will achieve that goal. Will you concentrate on individual behavior changes or policy matters or both? Does 

your budget allow for a major effort, or must you keep your activities modest? 

Strategies—broad techniques you will use to achieve your objectives. Strategies generally involve long-term 

plans, and you likely will have more than one, depending on your objectives. They are the big-picture plans 

that give broad-brush outlines to your work. 

Tactics—specific steps and activities that will support your strategies. Several tactics may support a single 

strategy, but each should evolve logically and rationally from your goals and objectives. 

Groups to involve—other interested parties that have similar goals; access to and credibility among your 

target audience; time; or other resources to contribute. 

Evaluation plans—the method by which you will determine if your program was successful. 

Timeline—specific action steps and dates by which they will be completed. 

Materials—the products you will use to communicate campaign messages to your audience. 

Resources—budget, personnel, volunteer, and other materials required to conduct the campaign. 

After you share your plan with the others who will work with you, the plan may be revised to reflect their roles 

and resources. 

Set Objectves 

Based on your understanding of the target 

audience and community needs, you are 

ready to establish the objectives for your 

tobacco-free sports program. What problem or issue will you address, and what is 

the change you hope to see? 

you—and others—exactly how you will go 

about working toward your goals. And you 

don’t have to work toward your objectives 

alone. Other individuals and groups may 

have like interests and be willing to contribute in ways big and small. 


 
Because objectives define what the communication effort is intended to do, they 

should be: 

•	 Supportive of the health program’s 

goals. 

•	 Reasonable and realistic (achievable). 

•	 Specific to the change desired and the 

period during which change should take 

place. 

•	 Measurable to allow you to track progress toward desired results. 

•	 Prioritized to direct the allocation of 

resources. 

Sample Objectives 

Raise awareness so that 95 percent of 

youth athletes exposed to campaign messages are aware that tobacco use has a 

negative effect on sports performance. 

Increase to 90 percent the proportion of 

parents of youth athletes who agree that 

secondhand smoke affects children. 

Persuade county recreation league to adopt 

a ban on tobacco use at league activities. 

Encourage community-based recreation programs that serve youth to adopt a “no use 

or possession” tobacco policy for players. 

Decde on Strategy 

There will be, no doubt, more than one 

way to achieve your objectives. Your job is 

to decide, based on what you know about 

your audience and community, which are 

the most realistic and potentially successful. Will you be able to obtain the buy-in of 

local coaches? Are schools in your area able 

to participate? Do you have the resources 

and volunteers to conduct a sustained effort? 

Is money available for paid advertising? The 

answers to questions such as these will lead 

you to the most appropriate course of action. 

Sample Strategies 

Involve local college and minor league athletes in educating and motivating youth. 

Offer technical assistance and sample materials to youth sports leagues interested in 

adopting tobacco-free policies. 

Promote a tobacco-free brand at youth 

sporting events. 

Moblze the Communty 

Community mobilization is a deliberate 

process of involving local institutions, leaders, community groups, and members of the 

community in taking action on a particular 

issue. It is potentially an effective strategy for 

creating change in the community because it 

can: 

•	 Improve the reach of the initiative to a 

broad audience by involving people who 

have a variety of roles within a community. 

•	 Reduce the risk of introducing unacceptable ideas or messages that could appear 

foreign to the community or target audience. 

•	 Contribute to sustained change. 

•	 Promote investment in your objectives. 

Identfyng Alles, Partners, 

and Sponsors 

Working with other organizations can significantly expand the reach and credibility 


 
of your program and messages while often 

reducing costs and multiplying resources. 

Partners can help you reach individuals 

to help foster behavior change. In addition, partners can be especially valuable to 

programs that need to undertake policy or 

structural changes to remove barriers to 

behavior change for their audiences. 

When you are ready to start your tobacco-free sports initiative, look for existing 

communication channels and infrastructure 

to use to maximize your resources. You 

may find organizations already engaged in 

youth tobacco use prevention efforts with 

which you will be able to partner. 

Like all other aspects of your efforts, 

planning your partnership activities should 

be done with an eye toward how each potential partner fits into your larger strategy 

and whether partnering with a given organization will actually be an enhancement. 

Early in your planning, you might want to 

brainstorm with your team to develop a list 

of organizations that could be worthwhile 

and appropriate partners. Consider: 

•	 Your mission. 

•	 Your messages. 

•	 Access to your target audiences and 

resources. 

•	 The kinds of support you need. 

•	 Potential partners’ areas of interest and 

needs for growth and image-building. 

Partners can be individuals and organizations. They can serve as ambassadors, 

do needed legwork, and provide resources. 

Local partners who are ambassadors spread 

the word, loudly and often, about your local initiative and about youth tobacco use 

prevention in general. They are people 

Sample Tobacco Sponsorshp Polcy for Event Organzers 

Used with the permission of the California Department of 

Health Services, Tobacco Control Section© 

The California Department of Health Services Tobacco Control Section created 

“Tack and Tools for Rodeo Organizers,” a 34-page booklet that explains the 

negative impact of tobacco industry financing of rodeo events and how communities can create a more healthy environment for fans and participants. The 

booklet includes a template policy for rodeos to prohibit tobacco sponsorships. 

Flynn, Peggy, Belanger, Lolly; California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section, Project SMART Money Workgroup. Tack and Tools for Rodeo Organizers. Sacramento, CA. 

California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section, 2001. Available from 

www.tobaccofreecatalog.org 


 
who already have the respect of families and Sample Strateges for Workng Wth Partners 

young people. Some have influence with To End Tobacco Sponsorshp 

local schools, policymakers, and community 

or youth groups that could be invited to get 

involved. The earlier you bring them into 

the process, the more they will help your 

program gain momentum. 

Local partners who do legwork have lots 

of energy, contribute as called upon, and 

often come up with creative ideas. They 

may work the phones to invite community 

members to an event or distribute posters 

to local businesses. They may pick up and 

drop off donations of materials from other 

community members and partners or put 

together folders of information. 

Local partners often are organizations 

such as high school service clubs, local colleges and community colleges, senior centers, religious groups, and civic clubs. These 

organizations may provide both volunteers 

and resources. Consider reaching out and 

asking large companies to serve as local 

partners and sponsors if they are major 

employers in your area. 

Many states and communities have established tobacco control organizations with 

which you also may wish to collaborate. 

For examples of the kinds of activities 

that partners can engage in to extend your 

program’s resources and reach, refer to the 

“Filling the Stands: Promoting Your Program or Event” section on page 32. 

Entertanment and Celebrty 

Endorsement 

Teaming up with sports figures can help 

you convey healthy messages to youth. The 

first step is to identify high-profile, tobaccofree athletes who will be good role models 

Used with the permission of the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section© 

0
 
Sample Strategy Document for Endng Tobacco Sponsorshp 

of Sportng Events 

Used with the permission of the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section© 

“Racing Toolkit: Helping Motorsports Get Free of Tobacco Sponsorship” was 

developed by the California Department of Health Services Tobacco Control 

Section to assist tobacco use prevention advocates in building partnerships with 

racing fans, tracks, and community associations to reduce or eliminate tobacco sponsorship of racing events. The toolkit contains a rationale for ending 

tobacco sponsorships and the strategies for approaching track managers and 

racing venues. These strategies are summarized above. 

Kent, Susan; Belanger, Lolly; Hagaman, Tonia; Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control 

Section, Project SMART Money Workgroup. Racing Toolkit: Helping Motosports Get Free of Tobacco Sponsorship. Sacramento, CA. California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control 

Section, January 2004. Available from www.tobaccofreecatalog.org 


 
for youth and can help to ensure that your 

tobacco-free message will resonate throughout the community. Whether you hope to 

recruit a world-class professional or a locally 

famous high school or college athlete, here 

are some steps you should take to ensure 

that your player is indeed a good role model 

for youth: 

•	 Make sure the athletes do not use any 

tobacco products and are not involved in 

other unhealthy lifestyle practices, such 

as the use of steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs, which could 

hurt their credibility and your campaign. 

•	 Make sure the athletes are not associated 

with any businesses that are affiliated 

with a tobacco company (for example, 

Kraft and Nabisco are owned by Philip 

Morris, Inc.). 

•	 Keep up with current sports news and 

the reputations of athletes you would 

like to use as spokespersons for your 

awareness campaign or event. Watch 

ESPN, and look at various sports sites 

on the Internet. 

•	 Before approaching a professional athlete or sports organization with ideas or 

a proposal for a campaign, ask if anyone 

in your state health department, organization, or school has ever worked with 

the athlete or team in the past. Find out 

what their experiences were like. Positive? Negative? Get the details. 

Make Your Ptch to Athletes and Ther 

Representatves 

Contact the athletes’ agent or their team’s 

public/community relations department to 

set up a meeting to talk about the ways that 

you can work together. If you have an event 

in the works, let the agents know as soon as 

possible so they have plenty of lead time to 

consider your request. Don’t give them a 

chance to say that their schedule is booked 

already. When you meet with the athlete or 

agent, provide background about your state 

health department, organization, or school 

and your tobacco-control efforts. Bring 

samples of newsletters, news clips, and 

photo albums of previous high-profile community events. Discuss in detail what you 

expect from the relationship. 

•	 Find out whether the athletes truly 

believe in the message and are not just 

using your campaign to get good public 

relations for themselves in the 

community. 

•	 Make it clear what you want the athletes to do, and present your entire wish 

list. (You probably will not get a second 

chance to ask for more.) For example, 

do you want them to visit a local school 

and talk with a group of kids for 20 minutes about the importance of leading a 

healthy, tobacco-free lifestyle? Would 

you like them to videotape a message to 

run on the school television network? 

Ask if the athletes would mind signing 

autographs for kids who take part in the 

event. 

•	 Outline the messages that you would 

like to stress and put them in writing. 

When they are addressing their fans, the 

athletes will appreciate having talking 

points about the importance of healthy 

lifestyles free of tobacco and drugs as 

well as the harmful effects of tobacco use 


 
on athletic performance, strength, and 

endurance. 

•	 Let the athletes know that as respected 

and highly visible figures in the community, their presence in your campaign 

will draw attention to these important 

public health messages as well as the 

community education activities and 

events that you are planning. 

•	 During your conversations or in your 

correspondence, emphasize the importance of their communicating tobaccofree and other public health messages 

that could save lives. 

•	 Discuss sponsorship of various activities and approval of outside sponsorship. Make sure that sponsors do not 

conflict with products that the athletes 

are endorsing already. Ask the athletes’ 

agent and team community relations 

departments if they have ideas regarding 

sponsorship opportunities. 

Get Approval Up Front 

If you are developing a poster or other communication product, make sure that it is 

approved by the athlete, agent, team, school, 

and in some cases, the national sports league 

(e.g., Major League Baseball, National Football League) and possibly an international 

federation, such as the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) if you 

are working on an international football/ 

soccer campaign. 

Always express your appreciation by 

writing thank you notes. You can have the 

kids in your program write them. Your 

youth athletes can present celebrity partners 

with an award at a ribbon ceremony. Be 

sure to include newspaper clippings and 

photos for the athlete, agent, and team contacts’ files. These kind gestures always are 

appreciated and will make people want to 

work with you again. 

Organze Team and Stadum 

Events 

The popularity of sporting events in the 

United States makes them an effective 

means of grabbing kids’ attention and conveying important health messages. These 

events also present some terrific opportunities for establishing partnerships with 

supporting organizations that might be 

willing to help you. Before approaching 

a professional team with a proposal for an 

event, you must know what type of event 

you’d like to use to promote your messages 

to youth. Consider these ideas: 

•	 Promote your tobacco-free message to 

youth during opening ceremonies or 

half-time events. For instance, identify 

local “Tobacco-Free Stars”—kids who 

have been actively involved in local 

tobacco-control efforts through their 

schools or teams—and honor them at 

the game. 

•	 Use the ceremonial first pitch at baseball 

games or a coin toss at other events to 

promote your messages. For example, 

link a school contest to the ballpark 

game so that contest winners get to 

throw out the first pitch and share their 

health messages with the crowd. 

•	 Display your tobacco-free messages on 

the stadium’s jumbo video screens or on 

banners at the stadium. 


 
• Pass out educational flyers to youth and 

their parents, and hang banners displaying your messages in the stadium. 

(Check out the free materials available 

from the CDC Office on Smoking and 

Health’s Media Campaign Resource 

Center at www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ 

media_communications/countermar

keting/mcrc/index.htm and Publications 

Catalog at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/osh_ 

pub_catalog/PublicationList.aspx) 

• Have team members sign autographs 

for kids, all the while conveying positive 

messages about sports and the benefits 

of being tobacco free. 

• Set up a booth near the concession stand 

where the team’s physicians and certified 

athletic trainers can meet with kids and 

their parents to talk about the addictive 

effects of tobacco, including bidis, cigars, 

and spit/chew tobacco. They can also 

educate youth about the many health 

benefits of being involved in a sport. 

• Find out if your local sports team’s radio 

station allows interviews before the 

game or during the game’s commentary. 

If so, ask to be on the program to talk 

about your event and about tobacco-free 

sports. 

­


 
Worksheet—Tobacco-Free Sports Plannng 

Use the planning worksheet as a reference point for thinking about the approaches, materials, messages, and techniques you’ll use to move your program 

from broad goals to measurable successes. 

What are we trying to achieve? 

What are our programmatic goals? 

Who are our audiences? 

1. What are their characteristics? 

• What do they see as benefits? 

• What barriers exist? 

• What motivates them? 

2. How can we reach them? 

What are the measurable objectives? 

1. Objective 1 

2. Objective 2 

3. Objective 3 

What are our strategies and tactics? 

How will we achieve our objectives? 

1. Strategy 

a. Tactic 

b. Tactic 

c. Tactic 

2. Strategy 

a. Tactic 

b. Tactic 

c. Tactic 

What are our messages? 

1. What action do we want the audience to take? 

2. How will we motivate them to take this action? 

3. What do we need to tell them? 

What are key measures of success? (Evaluation is discussed in detail beginning on page 49.) 

1. How will we know our program is working? 

2. How are we going to measure our successes? 


 
Worksheet—Target Audence Profile 

Whom do we want to reach? 

List demographic/psychographic characteristics: 

What does the audience think about tobacco use? 

What does the audience think about sports participation? 

List audience beliefs and attitudes: 

What would motivate the audience to engage in the desired behavior? 

List key benefits: 

What prevents the audience from engaging in the desired behavior? 

What behaviors are they doing instead? 

List key barriers: 

Where can we reach the audience? 

List communication channels: 


 
Creatng a Game Plan for Success—Sample Game Plan 

Elements for Anytown, USA Youth Recreaton League 

Set your program goal—the defining mission 

of your effort. 

Define measurable objectives—the intermediate steps that define and quantify the various ways you will achieve that goal. Will 

you concentrate on awareness, individual 

behavior changes, or policy matters? Does 

your budget allow for a major effort, or 

must you keep your activities modest? 

Identify strategies—the broad techniques 

you will use to achieve your objectives. 

Strategies generally involve long-term plans, 

and you will likely have more than one, 

depending on your objectives. They are the 

big-picture plans that outline your work. 

Select tactics—the specific steps and activities that will support your strategies. Several tactics may support a single strategy, but 

each should evolve logically from your goals 

and objectives. 

Sample Program Goal 

To keep youth aged 9–12 that participate in 

Anytown Recreation League (ARL) programs tobacco free. 

Sample Objectves 

• To raise awareness so that 95 percent 

of ARL youth athletes are aware that 

tobacco use has a negative effect on 

sports performance. 

• To increase adherence to ARL facility 

smoking bans. 

“Why do I love sports? They 

make me feel alive. Soccer 

allows me to dream big.” 

Gabriela L, Age 9 

Sample Strateges 

• Promote a tobacco-free brand at ARL 

youth sporting events. 

• Emphasize the performance-related ben

efits of being tobacco free. 

• Involve coaches and parents in message 

dissemination. 

­

Sample Tactcs 

• Distribute branded no-smoking signage 

to all ARL facilities. 

• Include branded messaging in all ARL 

print and electronic publications such 

as Web site, schedules, newsletters, and 

press releases. 

• Host youth clinics featuring local tobacco-free minor-league or college athletes. 

• Develop a coaches’ kit to make it easy to 

incorporate tobacco-free messaging into 

practices/drills. 

• Encourage parents to write letters to the 

editor supporting the enforcement of 

ARL tobacco-free policies. 


 
Case Study 

City of Milwaukee’s “Tobacco-Free Sports” Program 

Presents Kick Butts Day 

Program Overvew and Goal 

The city of Milwaukee’s “Tobacco-Free 

Sports” Program is a youth-led, adultguided program of the Milwaukee Public 

Schools (MPS) Department of Recreation 

and Community Services. Teens are 

trained as peer educators to present antitobacco education and prevention lessons 

to younger children who participate in 

Milwaukee Recreation’s fall, winter, and 

spring sports teams. The program uses a 

three-pronged approach: tobacco control 

and prevention mini-sessions for parents 

and youth, a targeted media advocacy 

anti-tobacco event, and tobacco prevention 

trainings for sports program staff, 

including coaches and officials. Every year, 

Milwaukee’s “Tobacco-Free Sports” presents 

Kick Butts Day. 

The Game Plan—Objectve 

Create a fun, memorable experience to 

reward students for staying tobacco free and 

making healthy choices. 

The Playbook—Mlwaukee’s 

Wnnng Tactcs and Strateges 

•	 Milwaukee planned their event around 

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Kick 

Butts Day, an annual national initiative 

that encourages youth to participate in 

positive tobacco-free activities (www. 

kickbuttsday.org). 

•	 Milwaukee invited special guests including T.J. Ford (point guard for the 

Milwaukee Bucks), Dana Jones (forward 

for the Chicago Blaze), Teri Mitchell 

(Head Coach for Marquette Women’s 

Basketball), and James Wright (forward 

for the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Panthers). 

•	 Milwaukee reached out to local media, 

including print, radio, and television 

outlets. Media members received press 

releases and media kits about the event 

and invitations to attend. 

The Scoreboard—Results 

Hundreds of students from Milwaukee 

Public Schools participated in the event and 

spent the morning exercising and listening 

to presenters. Over the years, students also 

have received visits from Wisconsin’s First 

Lady Jessica Doyle, Health Commissioner 

Bevan Baker, and other public officials. 

TODAY’S TMJ4, the NBC-TV affiliate in 

Milwaukee, covered the event and ran the 

story in the evening news. You can view the 

news report online at www. 

milwaukeerecreation.net/tobacco-freesports/. 


 
Levelng the Playng Feld: Advocatng for Tobacco-Free Polces 

While events and promotions can raise 

awareness of the benefits of a tobacco-free 

lifestyle, they may not yield a long-term impact on your target audience. Young people 

also need ongoing community support and 

alternative activities to help them resist the 

pressure or temptation to smoke. The history of tobacco control shows that creating 

environments that make smoking more 

costly and less convenient has been critical in lowering usage rates. Tobacco-Free 

workplaces, taxation, and many other policy 

changes large and small all have contributed 

to the decline in smoking over the past four 

decades. 

Tobacco-free policies will send a loud 

and clear message that tobacco use is not the 

norm in your community and will provide 

kids with a healthy, tobacco-free environment in which to play. These policies also 

educate coaches, referees, and parents about 

the importance of being tobacco-free role 

models for youth. 

Think of policies that will reinforce your 

message, and be realistic about the level of 

policy that you target. It is not necessary 

to change national or state policy to make 

a difference. You can start in your own 

organization or community. The levels at 

which you might advocate for tobacco-free 

policies include: 

•	 Team Level—propose a ban on the use 

of tobacco products by players, coaches, 

referees, and volunteers at sponsored 

events involving youth. Or work with 

a local minor league team to make their 

stadium tobacco free. 

•	 Association or League Level—encourage 

policies that require all participating 

teams to be tobacco free. 

•	 Recreation Department Level—urge your 

local recreation department to enforce a 

tobacco-free policy on all grounds they 

maintain, operate, and regulate. 

•	 Municipal Level—push for the adoption 

of a ban on use of tobacco products 

on and around city/county property, 

including office buildings and parks and 

recreation facilities. 

Selecting Realistic Policy Targets 

• Consider your resources—how many 

people are on your policy team and how 

much time can they devote to the project? 

• Do you have the resources to work toward 

a recreation department, city/county, or 

federation ban? 

• Will all forms of tobacco use be banned 

or just smoking? 

• Which playing fields and parks will be 

affected by the policy? 

• Will the ban be just for the playing area, 

or will it cover the entire park and parking 

lot? 

• Will you prohibit tobacco advertising, 

including any ads displayed on T-shirts, 

caps, signs, or programs or sponsorship of 

the event? 

• Will the policy apply only to youth? 

Guides to influencing policy change, 

including those referenced at the end of 

this section, provide detailed information 

on if, when, and how to conduct an advocacy campaign. In the interest of avoiding 

duplication, what follows is a summary of 

“I know some kids that smoke 

in school but I’m not interested. Soccer and basketball 

are too important to me. They 

think they are cool, they’re 

not.” 

Nicole S., U17 FSASoccerPlus 


 
the steps that will be involved as they relate 

to tobacco-free sports. Readers are encouraged to explore the resources listed at the 

end of this section prior to taking on policy 

change as a strategy. 

Pre-Season: Assess Your Startng 

Pont and Establsh a Coalton 

Know Current Law 

Based on the information you uncovered 

about your target audience and community 

during the development of the strategic 

plan, the first step in effectively advocating for policy change is to identify policies 

that either facilitate or help to discourage 

smoking. You also will want to become 

aware of current laws and policies. In some 

cases there may be no policies at all relating 

to tobacco control, in which case you will 

be starting from scratch. But there may 

already be policies in place. Still others 

might not be enforced. These might include anything from lack of enforcement of 

an existing ban on smoking near recreation 

facilities to a minor league baseball stadium 

that allows smoking in the stands. Whatever 

the current situation may be, understanding 

your starting point will tell you how much 

of a change you are proposing and how 

much you need to prepare the community 

for the changes. 

You can contact your local parks and 

recreation department to find out if there 

are any current tobacco-free policies in effect; your local health department can help 

with information on other local tobaccofree policies. CDC’s Office on Smoking and 

Health (http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/statesystem) and the American Lung Association 

(1-800-LUNGUSA; www.lungusa.org) 

are good sources of information on state 

tobacco-related legislation and regulation. 

Establsh a Coalton 

To successfully promote any change in policy, it will be necessary to demonstrate broad 

community support. Enlist support from 

stakeholders, including the coaching staff, 

parents, players, local health department, 

local tobacco-control coalition, teachers, 

PTA, recreation department staff, voluntary health agencies (such as the American 

Cancer Society, American Lung Association, 

American Heart Association, and Campaign 

for Tobacco-Free Kids), and others with 

an interest in tobacco-free sports or youth 

health. Ideally, your coalition will be representative of the population of your community and will include people with a variety 

of skills, contacts, and experience. 

Seed the Ground 

Develop a Game Plan 

Depending on the scope of your proposed 

ban, determine which official or body will 

make the final decision. Familiarize yourself 

with who will make the decision, how decisions are made, what steps your proposed 

ban will have to go through before being 

enacted, and the timing. Conduct a whoknows-who session with your policy team— 

identify who in your group has connections 

to decision makers. 

Map out a strategic plan and calendar, 

with benchmark goals for each step of the 

process necessary to enact your policy. As­

0
 
sign members of your team responsibility 

for key areas of work, taking into consider

ation their relationships with decision makers, experience, and time. And, hold regular 

meetings to evaluate progress and change 

course if necessary. 

­

Educate the Communty 

You will need to lay the groundwork for 

your advocacy project by educating the 

public so that members of the community, 

including elected officials, understand the 

health risks associated with smoking and 

spit tobacco use and the ways to protect 

youth from those dangers. Public presentations to organizations such as civic clubs, 

parent-teacher organizations, health agencies, professional societies, and home-owner 

groups provide an opportunity to find people who care about the issue and are willing 

to support or work on your campaign. The 

more support you can build, from a variety 

of citizens, the stronger your position will 

be in advocating for policy change. 

Run Your Plays 

Moblze Communty Support 

Generate calls, e-mails, postcards, petitions 

or letters to decision makers from community members. Ask people to speak from 

their own experience about why a tobaccofree policy is important to them. When 

decision makers hold meetings on the issue, 

have supporters attend to speak out. 

Work Wth the Meda 

Using the techniques discussed in the “Promotion” section of the Playbook on page 32, 

use the news media to deliver an in-depth 

analysis of the issues under consideration 

and your key message points. Take care in 

selecting spokespersons for your coalition, 

choosing those who can be articulate under 

pressure, know the issue, and will be prepared to counter the opposing viewpoint. 

You also can work through the media to 

expose tobacco industry interference and opposition during the campaign. The American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation Tobacco 

Industry Tracking Database (www.tidatabase. 

org) is a valuable resource for making the 

connections between front group activity 

and the tobacco industry and is available to 

coalitions and the media. 

Meet Wth Decsonmakers 

Determine in advance your two to three key 

points and who will make them. Do not 

leave the meeting without asking the decisionmaker to pledge her or his support for 

the tobacco-free policy. After the meeting, 

send a thank you letter and follow-up material to bolster your case. 

Here are some possible message points 

that will help you make your case in favor of 

tobacco-free policies: 

•	 Tobacco use is the leading cause of 

preventable death in the United States4. 

The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 

438,000 deaths, or nearly 1 of every 5 

deaths, each year in the United States5, 6. 

More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human 

immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal 

drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined5, 7. 


 
• Each day, an estimated 4,000 teens in the 

United States try cigarettes for the first 

time. If current smoking rates con

tinue, an estimated 6.4 million of today’s 

children will die prematurely from a 

tobacco-related illness in adulthood.2 

•	 Spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to 

smoking. It contains nicotine and at 

least 28 cancer-causing chemicals and 

causes cancers of the mouth, cheeks, and 

gums.8 

•	 The Surgeon General has concluded 

that secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and 

nonsmoking adults, and that there is no 

risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke9

. The Surgeon General has 

found that secondhand smoke exposure 

causes heart disease and lung cancer in 

nonsmoking adults and sudden infant 

death syndrome, acute respiratory 

infections, middle ear disease, more 

severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, 

and slowed lung growth in children9

. 

The California Environmental Protection Agency estimates that secondhand 

smoke causes 22,700 to 69,600 heart 

disease deaths and 3,423 to 8,866 lung 

cancer deaths among U.S. nonsmokers 

annually10. 

•	 Secondhand smoke causes sudden infant 

death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more 

frequent and severe asthma attacks 

in children. Exposure to secondhand 

smoke causes respiratory symptoms in 

children and slows their lung growth. It 

is responsible for an estimated 150,000 

to 300,000 new cases of bronchitis and 

pneumonia in children aged less than 18 

months.11 

• Communities throughout the United 

States—in Arizona, California, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, 

and Texas, for example—are creating 

tobacco-free outdoor recreational facilities out of concern for the health of their 

citizens. 

•	 In a tobacco-free environment, coaches 

and recreational leaders become tobacco-free role models that send a powerful 

message to youth that tobacco use is not 

part of a healthy lifestyle. 

•	 For years, the tobacco industry has 

sponsored and advertised at sporting 

events. Research indicates that sporting 

events expose youth to extensive tobacco 

use by people they view as positive role 

models. 

­

Post-Vctory 

Implement and Enforce the Polcy 

If your policy is accepted, take time to educate the community about it as well as any 

enforcement procedures. In general, tobacco-free policies have proved self-enforcing, much like traffic laws. The majority of 

smokers refrain from smoking in prohibited 

areas when they are aware of the law and 

when nonsmoking areas are well marked. 

Therefore, it also is important that an adequate number of signs indicating the policy 

are provided. CDC’s Tobacco-Free Sports 

Web site (www.cdc.gov/tobacco/youth/educational_materials/sports/index.htm) has 

sample signs you can use to announce your 

tobacco-free policy. Check with the parks 

and recreation department or facility management for guidance on posting signs. 


 
Play Defense 

Just because a policy is enacted, effective, 

and popular does not necessarily mean it 

will remain in force. Strong grassroots 

support, committed decision makers, and 

a well-written policy will go a long way 

toward protecting the ground you’ve gained. 

However, you should remain prepared to 

defend the policy should the need arise. 

“Smoking is out of the question. 

I want to be the best. I train too 

hard to risk it all by smoking.” 

Nick, U15 Premier 

Sample E-mal or Letter 

Tobacco use among youth is a serious problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 4,000 youths aged 12 to 17 try their first cigarette every 

day. If current patterns continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today’s children can be expected to die prematurely from a tobacco-related disease, including heart disease; multiple 

cancers, including those of the lung, mouth, bladder, pharynx, and esophagus; stroke; and 

chronic lung disease. Almost 7 percent of middle and high school students report being current users of spit tobacco. Spit tobacco use by adolescents is associated with health problems 

ranging from gum disease to oral cancer. 

Why do our young people start smoking or chewing? They are influenced by people 

around them who use tobacco. Friends, family, athletes, coaches, and other adult leaders 

are key role models who influence whether or not youth choose to use tobacco. How can 

we, as a community, work to ensure that youth are surrounded by positive role models? We 

can start by being positive role models ourselves. One way we can do this is by prohibiting 

tobacco use at our sports facilities, recreational facilities, and playgrounds. Prohibiting tobacco use reinforces to our youth that tobacco use is unacceptable and shows them that we, 

as adults, care about their health. 

By prohibiting tobacco use at sports and recreational facilities, especially indoor facilities, 

we are also protecting both youth and adults from the hazards of secondhand smoke. The 

Surgeon General has concluded that secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease 

in children and nonsmoking adults9

. 

I urge you to support tobacco-free recreational environments for our young people. By 

adopting a tobacco-free policy, our community can send a clear message that we care about 

the health of young people and want them to make positive lifestyle decisions. 

Thank you very much. 

Sincerely, 


 
Sample Postcard 

[Front of postcard] Help protect the health of our youth by supporting tobacco-free sports! 

[Back of postcard] I would like you to consider adopting a tobacco-free policy for your 

youth recreational programs and facilities to protect the health of our youth. 

Sincerely, 

Sample Petton 

We support tobacco-free policies for our community’s recreational and sports facilities. 

•	 Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Every 

year, around 440,000 Americans die from tobacco use. 

•	 Each day, 4,000 teens in the United States try cigarettes for the first time. 

•	 Parents, coaches, and recreational leaders are role models for youth and can have a positive effect on the lifestyle choices they make. 

•	 The Surgeon General has concluded that secondhand smoke causes premature death and 

disease in children and nonsmoking adults9

. 

•	 Prohibiting tobacco use at our community’s recreational facilities protects the health, 

safety, and welfare of everyone in the community. 

Signed: 

Name Address and Phone E-mail Address 


 
Case Study 

Maryland—Smoking Stops Here Helps Get Policy Passed in 

Queen Anne’s County 

Program Overvew and Goal 

Maryland—Smoking Stops Here (www. 

smokingstopshere.com) is a grassroots 

movement to mobilize Maryland citizens to 

adopt a healthy active lifestyle and improve 

their social environment by changing attitudes and getting involved in existing 

county-level programs as part of a community-wide movement. 

The Game Plan—Objectve 

Assist Maryland counties with the 

development of tobacco-free policies. 

The Playbook—Maryland’s 

Wnnng Tactcs and Strateges 

•	 Develop a coalition with groups and 

agencies that have an interest in tobacco-free sports or youth health. To 

develop tobacco-free policies in Queen 

Anne’s County, Maryland—Smoking 

Stops Here worked with county commissioners, the parks and recreation 

department, and alcohol and drug abuse 

services. 

•	 Promote tobacco-free policy development. The “Tobacco-Free Facilities” 

policy prohibits the use of all tobacco 

products, including cigarettes, cigars, 

pipes, and snuff and spit tobacco, within 

100 yards of any organized youth activity at a county park. This includes 

athletic events, concerts, and special 

events with a defined start and end time. 

Maryland—Smoking Stops Here helped 

Queen Anne’s County develop this 

policy. 

•	 Develop materials. Maryland—Smoking Stops Here develops customized 

“Tobacco-Free Zone” materials that are 

posted in county parks and recreation 

facilities. These materials present a 

unified message across the state about 

preventing tobacco use. 

The Scoreboard—Results 

Government officials unveiled Queen 

Anne’s County’s tobacco-free policy for 

county parks and fields, school facilities, 

and sports complexes at a press conference 

featuring the new “Tobacco-Free Zone” 

signs. These signs were posted on the 

backstops of more than 22 baseball/softball 

fields, 16 multipurpose fields, and 3 

football fields used for youth athletic events 

throughout the county. In addition, parks 

and recreation programs in 7 other counties 

enacted tobacco-free policies. 

”I have coached the best players in the world. It requires 

amazing dedication, talent, 

and fitness. But the interesting thing is that everyone can 

benefit from what sports have to 

offer. I hope all young people try 

sports and find something that 

fills their heart and soul like 

soccer has for me and those I 

coach. In turn, the intangibles of 

being an athlete are numerous: 

being healthy, fit, psychologically strong, and confident are 

great foundations for any future 

endeavor, and a lot of fun is 

had along the way. I am a firm 

believer in the benefits of sports, 

and certainly, maintaining a 

tobacco-free lifestyle is at the 

core of realizing your dreams.” 

Anson Dorrance 

Head Coach, 

UNC Women’s Soccer 

18 National Championships; 

Former Head Coach, U.S. 

Women’s National Team 

1986-1995; 1991 FIFA World 

Champion, Head Coach 


 
Sample Proclamaton 

The Anne Arundel County, MD, Recreation and Parks Department issued this proclamation 

banning tobacco use in all county recreation and parks fields and outdoor facilities during 

county-sponsored events. 


 
Sample Sgnage 

Signage informs constituents of the Maryland—Smoking Stops Here tobacco-free policy. 


 
Sample Team Proclamaton 

A minor league baseball team in Maryland, the Bowie Baysox, got into the action by issuing a 

team proclamation to support the tobacco-free campaign. 


 
Sample Tobacco-Free Polcy for Outdoor Recreatonal Facltes 

Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation, Minnesota’s statewide recreation-based tobacco prevention program, offers training and technical assistance to local tobacco control advocates, including youth, 

to help them advocate for tobacco-free park policies in their communities. This model tobaccofree policy for park and recreation areas is one of several materials provided to advocates to help 

guide their efforts. 


 
Sample Publc Servce Announcements for Sports Events 

The Kansas Tobacco-Free Sports program’s Tobacco-Free Sports Community Playbook for 

Recreation and Tobacco Prevention contains suggested public service announcements to publicize tobacco-free policies at the beginning of and during tobacco-free sports events. 

0
 
Sample Event Ideas for Tobacco-Free Sports 

The Kansas Tobacco-Free Sports program promotes a tobacco-free lifestyle for young athletes 

by providing educational opportunities, promoting community norm change, and ensuring 

the existence of tobacco-free environments during sporting events. The Tobacco-Free Sports 

Community Playbook for Recreation and Tobacco Prevention contains the tools needed to use 

recreation as a means for tobacco prevention, including these ideas for tobacco-free sports events. 


 
Case Study 

Minnesota Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Program 

Promotes Tobacco-Free Policies 

Overvew 

Minnesota’s Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation 

(www.ansrmn.org) program began in 2000, 

and since that time has assisted more than 

90 Minnesota cities and four counties in 

establishing tobacco-free policies for their 

parks, beaches, athletic fields, playgrounds, 

and other recreation facilities. 

Sgnage 

Metal signs inform park visitors of the Minnesota cities’ ban on tobacco use. 

Fllng the Stands: 

Promotng Your Program 

or Event 

Now that you’ve developed detailed plans 

for your tobacco-free policies, programs, 

and events, you need to make sure that 

people know about them. A promotional 

plan based on your audience research will 

ensure that you get the word out about 

your activities to the right people at the 

right time. Successful communication will 

garner your target audiences’ attention so 

that they support your efforts, participate in 

them, and tell others about them. 

In this section, you will find recommendations for developing and testing a key 

message for your program or event, sample 

media materials, guidelines for placing public service announcements, tips for leveraging partnerships to extend your reach, and 

additional marketing ideas. 

Develop and Test a Key Message 

The heart of any communications plan 

is the key message—a short, well-crafted 

message to inform your target audience 

what they should know and do. To develop 

your key message, you need to determine 

what messages need to reach your audience 

and which are most likely to persuade or 

help them to adopt a tobacco-free, healthy 

lifestyle. Convene a brainstorming session with a few key stakeholders, share your 

objectives with them, and come up with several ideas. Select a few of the ideas to share 

with members of your target audience. 


 
Getting feedback from your target audience before you develop your materials is 

called pretesting your message. It helps to 

ensure that your message will appeal to the 

target audience and that it will be passed 

along, understood, and acted upon. Pretesting can be as simple as gathering a group 

that is representative of your target audience from your office, recreation center, 

health center, or school. If you have the 

time and money, you can hire a professional 

focus-testing provider to do this for you. 

Be prepared to revise the messages one or 

more times until the messages are clear and 

appeal to your target audience. 

Work Wth the Meda To Promote 

Your Program or Event 

By working with the media, you can bring 

exposure to the vitally important issue of 

tobacco use prevention and your program. 

Building and maintaining relationships with 

reporters and assignment editors at your local newspaper and television stations can be 

valuable to your public education, outreach, 

and funding efforts. At the end of this section, you will find template media materials 

that you can customize or use as a guide to 

develop your own materials. 

Practce the  Bs 

The media materials contained in this section are tools to help you practice the “4 Bs” 

of media relations: 

• Be prepared. 

• Be an educator. 

• Be quotable. 

• Be in control. 

Do not wait until you need to get a story 

or event covered to introduce yourself to 

a reporter. Instead, get to know the local 

reporters who cover health, public policy, or 

any other topic linked to your tobacco-free 

sports initiatives. Then, choose one news 

contact at each media outlet and build a 

rapport by remaining in contact regularly, 

developing consistent message points, and 

becoming a “go-to” source for timely, reliable information. 

Create a media list of names and contact 

information (e.g., phone and fax numbers 

and mailing and e-mail addresses) for each 

reporter, especially the health or science 

reporter. Refer to the tips for creating 

a media list in the guidelines on how to 

“Write and Distribute a Media Advisory” in 

this section, page 34. 

Do Your Homework 

In the news business, timing is everything, 

so you will want to look for opportunities to 

link your story to local, regional, or national events or observances (e.g., World No 

Tobacco Day, the Olympic Games). Doing 

so will make your “pitch” to reporters easier 

while helping them do their jobs. Keep 

in mind that reporters operate under tight 

deadlines, and they rely on professionals like 

you for stories, information, and interviews. 

Develop Supportng Message Ponts 

In addition to your key message, supporting message points are a useful tool for 

both internal and external communications 

related to your tobacco-free sports program 

and events. The “boilerplate” (fill-in-the­

“Smoking is a turn-off. I’ve 

coached Olympic Gold Medal 

soccer players and am currently 

coaching youth players, some 

just starting to get serious about 

elite soccer. The margin of success for players that reach their 

goals or come up short is so narrow. Why would any talented 

athlete consciously hurt their 

chances to be their best? Tobacco 

clearly has no place in a healthy 

lifestyle. There is nothing sexy or 

cool about smoking. Be smart! 

Be healthy! Be tobacco free!” 

Tony DiCicco 

Coach, USA Women’s 

National Soccer Team 

‘96 Olympic Gold Medal; 

‘99 World Cup Champions 


 
blank) message points provided in this section focus on current statistics on youth and 

tobacco use and the benefits of tobacco-free 

sports. 

You can customize and refine these 

message points into shorter messages that 

can be used as talking points or responses 

during print or broadcast interviews. You 

also can use them for developing your own 

media, marketing, partnership development, 

and presentation materials. 

Wrte and Dstrbute a Meda Advsory 

A media advisory is a simple way to inform 

local media outlets about an upcoming 

press conference, briefing, or other event. 

You distribute this document to media in 

advance of your event to provide print, 

broadcast and Internet reporters with the 

basic details about what your event is and 

where and when it will be held. Its goal is 

not to tell the complete story, but instead to 

entice media to attend your event to learn 

more. 

As you prepare for your tobacco-free 

sports event, refer to the customizable media advisory template in this section. You 

may use this template as the basis for your 

media advisory, making sure to edit it as 

necessary (particularly updating all of the 

placeholders that have been listed in brackets throughout) to customize it for your 

event. 

If you choose to write your own media 

advisory, keep it short (no more than a 

page). The most essential components are 

the details of the event: what the event is, 

where the event is taking place, and the day 

and time the event will begin. A contact 

name and number that media can call in 

advance of the event also are crucial. 

Below are some suggestions for successfully distributing your advisory. 

Create a media list. Send the advisory 

to local media outlets in your community 

1 week before your event. To do so, you 

should develop a current media list—a 

fundamental tool that organizes information about reporters. Your list of media 

outlets must be accurate and up to date to 

effectively reach reporters with your story. 

This list also can be used when distributing 

your press release, which will contain more 

information about your event. 

Here are some tips on creating a media list: 

•	 Check your local library or bookstore 

for media directories of daily and weekly 

newspapers, television stations, radio 

stations, newswire services, Internet 

news outlets, magazines, newsletters, 

and business trade publications in your 

community. Some examples include 

Bacon’s directories, the Yellow Book, and 

Gebbie’s All-in-One Directory. Use the 

phone book or the Internet to supplement your list. 

•	 Once you have developed a list of phone 

numbers and addresses, call each outlet 

to verify the information and to determine which editors and reporters are the 

most appropriate for your news, such as 

health reporters. 

•	 For each media outlet, create a list with 

the following information: name of 

media outlet, address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address, and the 

names and titles of specific reporters 

or editors who cover tobacco use and 

health-related issues. 


 
• Today, most reporters and editors prefer 

information to be e-mailed to them; 

therefore, secure an e-mail address when 

possible. When calling to verify contact 

information, you also should ask about 

the best time to call each reporter about 

your event (i.e., how far in advance/what 

time of day). 

Be sure to include specialized media on 

your list, such as African-American, Hispanic/Latino, or other minority newspapers or 

radio stations. Other specialized media you 

may wish to include are university/college 

newspapers; television and radio stations; 

small community papers or neighborhood 

newsletters; and publications produced 

by local organizations, such as businesses, 

hospitals, women’s centers, health care clinics, professional associations, churches and 

other faith-based institutions, drug stores, 

and local civic clubs. 

Place the media advisory on the “daybooks” and in “week ahead” columns. “Daybooks” are daily listings of all activities 

that media are invited to attend—they are 

not read by the general public. In contrast, 

“week ahead” columns reach a wider audi 

ence because they are published in local 

newspapers and business publications. 

Both of these tools can help you spread 

the word about your event. Call the local 

bureaus of newswire services, such as the 

Associated Press and Reuters, in your city or 

state and ask for the name of the daybook 

editor and that person’s fax number. Fax 

your advisory and ask the daybook editor 

to place it on the newswire’s “daybook” the 

week before, the day before, and the day of 

the event. (Some media services, such as PR 

Newswire, charge for posting such information, so you may wish to inquire first.) Also 

call local newspapers and business publications that feature upcoming activities, 

asking them to place the advisory in their 

“week ahead” columns or calendar listings 

to encourage community members to attend your event. 

As a follow-up, after you e-mail or fax 

the media advisory, contact reporters by 

phone to determine their interest in attending or covering the event. This type of 

personal effort often can make a difference 

in generating media interest. 

Wrte and Dstrbute a Press Release 

A timely, well-written press release is an important tool in an effective media outreach 

plan. While small newspapers may run the 

release word for word or with minor changes, other media (in fact, the majority) use 

it as background information to craft their 

own articles. Either way, the release is the 

key vehicle for generating media interest; 

thus, taking the time to make it as powerful 

as possible is worth the effort. 

As you prepare for your tobacco-free 

sports events, you may want to distribute 

a press release announcing your program’s 

most important and newsworthy activity. 

Whether you use the sample press release 

provided in this section or write your own, 

you can follow these guidelines for writing 

an effective press release. 

A press release distributed to local media 

by fax or e-mail on the day of your event, 

as well as in press kits handed out at your 

event, provides more detailed information 

than the snapshot you may provide in a 

one-page media advisory sent to media in 

advance of your event. 


 
While the brief media advisory serves 

to entice media attendance at your event, a 

press release can help the media flesh out 

their stories. For example, the press release 

can contain quotes from local officials and 

mention other activities your organization is 

planning along with the main event. If you 

have multiple newsworthy activities planned, 

you may wish to distribute a separate press 

release for each of your other activities, if 

they can stand on their own. Or you may 

wish to issue a news release with an attached 

fact sheet describing all of the events being 

hosted in your community for the entire 

tobacco-free sports program. 

For example, your tobacco-free sports 

event release may be considered newsworthy 

if your organization: 

•	 Honors a local individual or organization 

as part of the celebration. 

•	 Plans an event to issue a tobacco-free 

sports proclamation by a local lawmaker 

or other official. 

•	 Conducts seminars or workshops featuring a local or national celebrity speaker. 

•	 Publicizes the local impact of a national 

news event or campaign, such as World 

No Tobacco Day (http://www.who.int/ 

tobacco/communications/events/wntd/ 

en/). 

•	 Announces the results of a poll, survey, or 

study on youth and tobacco use. 

•	 Launches a new public education 

campaign. 

Refer to the press release template in this 

section when writing your tobacco-free 

sports initiative press release. You may use 

this template as the basis of your press release, making sure to edit it as necessary 

for your event (particularly updating all 

placeholders that have been highlighted in 

bold and listed in brackets throughout the 

release). Here are some tips to help you 

write your release. 

• 	 Stick to a traditional format. Releases 

should be issued on your organization’s 

letterhead. At the top of the page, 

include the name and phone number of 

a contact for more information. The 

release should begin with the name of 

your city and the date. If the release 

is longer than one page, type “more” at 

the bottom of each page except the last. 

Signify the end of the release by typing 

“###” centered after the last sentence. 

•	 Keep it short. A press release should be 

no more than two pages, double-spaced; 

it should contain short sentences and 

paragraphs. 

•	 Give the most important details first. 

Begin with a headline that summarizes 

the release. The first paragraph should 

answer the five basic questions about 

your event—who, what, where, when, 

and why. 

•	 Be careful with language. Avoid using 

slang or technical terms dealing with 

tobacco use or sports initiatives. If necessary, explain terms. 

•	 Check for accuracy. Be sure to verify 

all spelling, statistics, names, and titles 

in your tobacco-free sports initiative 

release. 

•	 Write factually. Opinions should be 

expressed in direct quotes only. When 

quoting an individual in your press 

release, get consent before publishing. 


 
•	 Seek placement. Distribute your 

tobacco-free sports initiative release at 

your event and via e-mail or fax to local 

print, broadcast, and Internet reporters 

in your community on the day of the 

release’s date. An explanation of how 

to develop a media distribution list is 

provided with the sample media advisory in this section. Follow-up by phone 

to encourage reporters to write or air a 

story. Try to schedule an interview with 

an official of your organization to give 

the media additional information. Collect samples of any resulting coverage to 

document your outreach efforts. If you 

invite the media to your event, have a 

place for them to sign in so you can keep 

track of who attended and monitor for 

resulting media coverage. 

Wrte and Place an Op-Ed 

Most newspapers publish a page of opinion 

columns and letters opposite the editorial 

page; hence the term “opinion editorial,” or 

“op-ed.” Important ideas and issues are debated on the op-ed pages—an ideal place to 

raise awareness of your tobacco-free sports 

initiative and to address important issues 

related to tobacco use and prevention. 

Writing an op-ed places you in the role 

of a columnist—expressing your views while 

presenting the facts. Whether you use the 

sample provided at the end of this document or write your own, here are some tips 

for writing an op-ed: 

•	 Develop an outline. It will help you stay 

focused and act as a reminder to cover 

key points. 

• Stick with one subject. Choosing one 

theme will most effectively persuade the 

reader and drive home your point. 

• Express an opinion. Be clear about your 

point of view from the beginning of the 

piece. 

• Provide background information. Do 

not assume your readers are aware of 

the issue or your viewpoint, so paint a 

general picture of the issue or problem. 

• Support your position. Statistics or study 

results add credibility, but take care not 

to bury your readers in numbers. 

• Use appropriate anecdotes. Reference 

a recent news event, story, or personal 

anecdote to bring your piece to life. 

• Localize it. Include local statistics about 

tobacco use. Refer to local 

tobacco-free programs and resources 

that have a direct impact on your 

community. 

• Contact a local authority or expert to 

request a quotation. Including a relevant 

quote can provide additional context to 

your argument and demonstrate that 

other respected figures in your community support tobacco-free initiatives. 

• Ascertain specific word limits and required submission information. Word 

limits are generally 400–600 words. Be 

succinct—less is more. 

• Identify yourself. At the end of your 

piece, include in italics your full name, 

daytime telephone number, e-mail address, and a brief description of who you 

are and what you do that makes you an 

expert on the subject. 

“Playing sports is a fun way 

to develop lifelong habits of 

exercise, eating right, and setting your priorities. You can 

accomplish whatever you want 

in life through such discipline, 

hard work, and staying healthy 

and fit. Take that first step that 

will carry you through a lifetime 

and start playing sports on any 

level, and you too will see and 

feel the rewards.” 

Bruce Arena 

Head Coach, U.S. Men’s 

National Soccer Team 

2006, 2002 World Cup 

Qualifier 


 
To submit your op-ed for publication, 

get the process started about 2 months before your tobacco-free sports event. Begin 

by calling your local newspaper to find out 

the name of the appropriate editor to contact. Establish a rapport with the identified 

editorial page member and brief this person 

about the tobacco-free sports initiative. 

The paper may require that you send a 

written copy of the op-ed to the editorial 

page editor and may specify a word limit for 

your piece. Submit your op-ed by e-mail, 

fax, or mail, depending on the newspaper’s 

preference. Send an accompanying letter that explains who you are and provides 

some background information about 

your initiative and the topic. It should 

briefly, but clearly, state the issue and why 

your thoughts on the subject are important. Give the editorial staff a week or so 

to review the piece, and then call to be sure 

the op-ed was received and to answer any 

questions. 

Speakng Effectvely Wth the Meda 

About Tobacco-Free Sports 

It is important to remember that most 

reporters are “generalists” who cover a 

wide range of topics and may not have an 

in-depth knowledge of tobacco-related 

issues. That is why you should view the 

relationships you cultivate with the media as 

partnerships—you provide useful information to them and their audience, and they 

provide access to the public you want to 

reach. 

As part of your tobacco-free sports 

activities, you may generate opportunities 

to tell your story to local media representatives as part of an in-person or telephone 

interview. Newspaper reporters normally 

conduct interviews to gather background 

information when writing their stories, and 

this provides an excellent opportunity for 

you to share your point of view. 

Below are five tips on making the most 

of a media interview as well as some ways 

to communicate with reporters about your 

tobacco-free sports initiative. 

1.	 Keep it simple. Identify, in advance, no 

more than three key points you want to 

convey in your interview and stick to 

them. Cluttering your interview with 

numerous messages can be confusing. 

2.	 Get right to the point. Reporters generally do not have time (and they may 

lack the patience) to sit through lengthy 

speeches. State the most important 

points first, and then ask the reporter if 

you should elaborate on any of them. 

3.	 Remember your audience. Your interviewer, like the general public, likely 

does not spend as much time thinking about tobacco use issues as you do. 

Avoid using terms unfamiliar to those 

outside the field, and be prepared to explain basic facts about tobacco use and 

prevention. 

4.	 Make yourself useful. Offer to locate 

additional experts and arrange for the 

reporter to speak with them after your 

interview is completed. If you do not 

know an answer to a reporter’s question, 

offer to research it and get back to the 

reporter right away with the answer. 

5.	 Practice. If you rehearse ahead of time, 

you are more likely to state your key 

points clearly during your interview. 


 
You also can anticipate media questions 

you might receive and prepare appropriate responses. 

Sample Message Points 

Because of their popularity, sports activities are a great way to reach young people 

with information on how to make impor

tant health decisions related to tobacco use. 

That’s why we’re hosting [event]. 

If current tobacco use trends continue, 6.4 

million of today’s young people will die of 

tobacco-related diseases. In [insert your 

city, county, or service area name], more 

than [insert estimated number of local statistic] youth currently use tobacco. 

Keeping youth tobacco free as adolescents 

and teens can go a long way toward preventing tobacco-related deaths. More than 90 

percent of all adult smokers begin while in 

their teens or earlier, and more than half 

become regular, daily smokers before they 

reach the age of 19. 

We’re holding our event on May 31 to participate in the annual global observance of 

World No Tobacco Day. The goal of World 

No Tobacco Day is to inform the public 

on the dangers of using tobacco and what 

people around the world can do to claim 

their right to healthy living and protect 

future generations. 

Our message is that youth tobacco use 

can be prevented. This week we are focusing on [insert your local activities/events]. 

Over the next few months [insert your 

organization’s name] will be [insert future 

activities] to help youth in [insert your city, 

county, or service area name] live tobacco 

free. 

We invite communities and parents to 

help us in the fight against youth tobacco 

use. Encourage local businesses to strongly 

enforce laws that ban the sale of tobacco to 

youth. We urge parents to role model the 

health behaviors they want their children 

to adopt. If you smoke, try to quit, and tell 

your children that you don’t want them using tobacco. 

­


 
Meda Advsory Template 

[Date]
 

[Community/State] Celebrates World No Tobacco Day
 

[Your Organization] Helps Local Youth Stay Tobacco Free by Getting in the Game
 

WHO: [participants]
 

WHEN: [date and time]
 

WHERE: [address of location]
 

CONTACT: [name and phone number of primary contact for event (including after business hours contact information)]
 

An estimated [number] of [state or city]’s youth currently use tobacco. In an effort to 

reduce tobacco use among youth and in observance of World No Tobacco Day, [your organization] will host [an event] on [date]. 

Sports activities are a great way to reach our nation’s young people with information on 

how to make important health decisions related to tobacco use. More than 90 percent of all 

adult smokers begin while in their teens or earlier, and more than half become regular, daily 

smokers before they reach the age of 19, which suggests that if kept tobacco free, most youth 

will never start using tobacco. 

[Insert brief paragraph to elaborate on your organization’s efforts for World No Tobacco 

Day. Note any visuals that will present a good “photo opportunity”.] 

0
 
Press Release Template 

For Immediate Release

[Date]	 

 Contact: [Your Organization] 

[Your Name] 

[Your Phone Number] 

[Community/State] Celebrates World No Tobacco Day 

[Your Organization] Helps Local Youth Win the Game of Life by Staying Tobacco Free 

An estimated [number] of [state or city]’s youth currently use tobacco. In an effort to 

reduce tobacco use among youth and in observance of World No Tobacco Day, [your organization] will host [an event]. 

More than 90 percent of all adult smokers begin smoking while still in their teens or 

earlier, and more than half become regular, daily smokers before they reach the age of 19. 

“Sports activities are a great way to educate youth about the dangers of tobacco use, provide 

them with the skills they need to refuse tobacco, and demonstrate the benefits of living tobacco free,” said [name], [title] of [your organization]. “It is critical to reach young people 

early and to deliver ongoing prevention messages via sports and other youth-oriented channels.” 

[Insert brief paragraph to elaborate on your organization’s efforts for World No Tobacco 

Day. Include quote from a prominent local official and a youth participant.] 

World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on May 31, informs the public on the dangers 

of using tobacco and what people around the world can do to claim their right to healthy 

living and protect future generations. 

[Add a brief paragraph about your organization and its mission.] 


 
Sample Op-Ed 

With the Bases Loaded, “Do as I Say, Not as I 

Do” Not Enough To Keep Kids From Smoking 

Most parents, if asked, would say that 

they hope to keep their children from using 

tobacco and would actively discourage them 

from doing so. I know I would. And my 

guess is that even smokers feel the same way. 

But do we, as individuals and communities, 

go far enough in protecting our kids from 

addictive and deadly tobacco products? We 

might tell them not to smoke or use other 

forms of tobacco. Then we send them into 

situations, including the great American 

pastime of baseball and other sports, where 

they are exposed to secondhand smoke, the 

wrong role models, and big-budget tobacco 

marketing. 

As the May 31 observance of World 

No Tobacco Day approaches, let us turn 

our attention to creating an environment 

where kids can learn the dangers of tobacco 

and gain the skills they will need to hang 

tough against marketing and peer pressure. 

Sports provide the perfect entrée. Despite 

the tobacco industry’s association with major sporting events and the use of tobacco 

products by some pro athletes, tobacco use 

simply is not consistent with sports performance. Not that all of our children are, or 

should be, elite athletes. But at whatever 

level they hope to compete, using tobacco 

will not help them achieve their goals. 

Why do our young people start smoking? They are influenced by people around 

them who smoke. Friends, family, and 

other adult leaders are key role models when 

it comes to behaviors like smoking. How 

can we, as a community, work to ensure that 

youth are surrounded by positive, healthy 

role models? We can start by being positive 

role models ourselves. 

One way is to demand that the [city] 

Department of Recreation and Parks adopt 

a zero-tolerance policy for tobacco use at 

recreational facilities and playgrounds. 

This means posting signs and enforcing 

a smoking and spit tobacco ban for players, coaches, and spectators. We should 

ban tobacco company paraphernalia worn 

by players, coaches, and spectators. And 

coaches and administrators should incorporate pro-health and anti-tobacco messages 

into communications with youth players. 

We can talk all we want, and coaches can 

(and should) educate their players about the 

dangers of tobacco. But we all know that 

kids have a hypocrisy detector. If after all 

this talking they play their games in a fog 

of cigarette smoke from the sidelines, this 

is a mixed message. If they look up to the 

stands and see you proudly sporting a 

tobacco-company logo on your hat or Tshirt, again, this is a mixed message. 

By prohibiting tobacco use at municipal 

recreation facilities and playgrounds, we 

also would be protecting all of our citizens 

from the dangers of secondhand smoke. 

Consider this staggering fact: If current 

youth tobacco use trends continue, 

6.4 million of today’s young people will die 

of tobacco-related diseases. And the time to 

prevent it is now. More than 90 percent of 

all adult smokers begin smoking while still 

in their teens or earlier, and more than half 

become regular, daily smokers before they 

reach the age of 19, suggesting that if kept 

tobacco-free during this time, most kids will 

never start using tobacco. 


 
Tobacco use can be prevented, but it will 

not happen without you. And it will not 

happen if our children are continually exposed to messages, overt and otherwise, that 

encourage them to smoke. Take the first 

step on World No Tobacco Day. Support 

a tobacco-free policy at [city]’s recreational 

facilities and playgrounds. Take time to dis

cuss this important issue with Department 

of Recreation and Parks board members and 

city council members. Urge them to vote in 

favor of the future by protecting the health 

of young people living in our community. 

[Insert writer’s name, telephone number 

and affiliation] 

Place Rado Publc Servce 

Announcements (PSAs) 

Public service announcements (PSAs) are 

unpaid advertisements that promote the 

programs of organizations serving the 

public interest. PSAs can be a powerful and 

economical way to reach audiences. For a 

message to qualify as a PSA, it must be: 

•	 Non-commercial in nature. 

•	 Brief and concise (generally 30 or 60 sec

onds). 

•	 Delivered by, or on behalf of, a nonprofit 

organization, charity, or other important 

community group. 

Radio is a valuable medium for promoting tobacco-free sports initiatives. Because 

radio stations are no longer required to use 

PSAs, competition is intense for the time 

they choose to donate. However, most 

station media managers want to respond to 

a community’s concerns and are especially 

interested in communicating timely and 

relevant information on public health. This 

is where you can play a critical role—by 

meeting or talking to your local station 

media managers to explain the importance 

of promoting a tobacco-free lifestyle to their 

local audience and the importance of disseminating information on physical activity 

as an alternative to tobacco use. 

Some radio stations may prefer to 

use live-read announcer scripts for brand 

identity purposes. In addition, when announcers and disc jockeys read a PSA, the 

audience identifies the familiar voice and 

recognizes that the information is a public 

service message meant to benefit their community and listeners. 

Included in this section are two live-read 

scripts, at 60 and 30 seconds. To distribute 

these scripts, call local radio stations to find 

out the name and address of the public affairs director at each station. If there is no 

one with that exact title, ask for the name 

and title of the person in charge of PSAs. 

Explain to this person that you are working 

as part of an initiative to promote tobaccofree sports for youth and want to secure 

the support of radio stations in promoting 

sports and healthy activities to youth in 

your area as an alternative to using tobacco. 

Once you have spoken with the public 

affairs director or other contact, you should 

either fax or mail copies of the PSA scripts 

for their consideration. When you retype 

the scripts to send them out, do not forget 

to list your contact name, organization, and 

phone number. Make sure to include a 

cover letter summarizing the main points 

you discussed, and convey your appreciation 

for the airtime these important messages 

will receive. 

“Sports have been such an important part of my life. Growing 

up, I played all kinds of sports, 

both organized and pickup 

with friends. There are so many 

wonderful benefits. It was a way 

to express myself, a great way to 

stay in shape, meet new friends, 

challenge myself, and travel 

the world. I always did better 

in school when I played sports 

because I organized my time 

better. And I learned how to 

become fit and understand the 

importance of taking care of my 

body. That includes saying no to 

smoking and drugs, despite the 

pressures you may feel. Having 

others around you committed to the same goal can make 

that an easy choice. I hope that 

each of you finds a sport that 

you are passionate about and 

that makes you feel good about 

yourself.” 

Lauren Gregg 

Player and Coach, U.S. 

Women’s National Team 

Two-time World Champion; 

Olympic Gold Medalist 

­

­


 
World No Tobacco Day: Sample 

Tobacco-Free Sports Lve-Read 

Rado PSAs 

Public Service Announcements 

: 60 

Hey, parents! Get your kids in the game! 

May 31st is “World No Tobacco Day.” 

It’s a great opportunity to talk with your 

kids, give a clear message about not using 

tobacco, and encourage healthy activities 

instead. 

More than 90 percent of all adult smokers begin in their teens, or earlier, and more 

than half become regular, daily smokers 

before they reach 19. It’s no wonder, then, 

that roughly one-third of all youth smokers will eventually die prematurely from a 

disease caused by tobacco use. 

Sports offer a great alternative. Kids 

will have a better chance of making the 

team—and staying on it—if they don’t use 

tobacco. And kids who get involved in 

sports now are more likely to stay tobacco 

free for life. 

So get your kids in the game! This May 

31st, celebrate “World No Tobacco Day” 

—take your kids for a swim, go for a run, or 

challenge them to a family soccer game in 

the park. Show them that tobacco free is the 

way to be. 

This message is brought to you by [insert local organization]. 

: 30 

Hey, parents! Get your kids in the game! 

May 31st is “World No Tobacco Day.” 

It’s a great opportunity to talk with your 

kids, give a clear message about not smoking, and encourage something healthy 

instead. 

Sports offer a great alternative. And, 

kids will have a better chance of making 

the team—and staying on it—if they don’t 

smoke. And kids who get involved in sports 

now are more likely to stay tobacco free for 

life. 

So get them in the game! 

This message is brought to you by [insert local organization]. 

Equp Partners To Spread 

the Word 

Partnerships with sports celebrities, teams, 

organizations, sponsors, and others offer 

opportunities to reach target audiences in 

ways that will leave a lasting impression 

of the experience and your message. For 

this reason, it is important to have a wellplanned strategy to be successful among the 

fierce competition for goodwill activities 

beyond the endorsements, advertisements, 

and promotions paid by advertisers. 

Learn about other individuals and 

organizations that promote for-profit and 

not-for-profit activities. Learn who your 

competition is and find a niche that a relationship with your group can fill without 


 
creating competition for existing responsibilities. Develop a clear understanding 

of how your partners will benefit from the 

relationship as well as how they can help 

your cause. 

For example, if the local semi-pro team 

were to sponsor a tobacco-free sports night, 

could you generate increased ticket sales by 

promoting the event with the media and in 

schools and other venues where advertising 

would normally have to be paid for? 

As you think about how your ideal partnership would work, be prepared to make 

adjustments to fit with the objectives of potential partners. For example, if a local team 

already sponsors youth practice sessions, 

you could work at the registration desk for 

participants and at the same time distribute 

materials or provide giveaways with your 

message on them. Keep in mind, there are 

many ways to work with individuals and 

organizations, including: 

•	 Arrange celebrity appearances. 

•	 Participate in scheduled events. 

•	 Add messages to team sponsored activities. 

•	 Tie-in with local observances. 

•	 Plan special promotions. 

•	 Use public service advertising space. 

•	 Provide volunteers. 

•	 Coordinate media events. 

•	 Distribute promotional materials. 

It is better to start small and establish a 

solid foundation for a long-term partnership than to expect more than what can 

reasonably be expected at the outset. 

Addtonal Marketng Ideas 

To build awareness and motivate people to 

take action, you want your target audience 

to see, hear, or read your message repeatedly 

in a variety of places over time. In addition 

to working with the media to promote your 

program or event, your communications 

plan should include a variety of outreach 

vehicles. For example: 

•	 Print materials (fact sheet, brochure, or 

newsletter). 

•	 Information posted on the Internet (a 

Web site of your own, information on 

the city or town site, an online “chat”). 

•	 A PowerPoint presentation for use at 

group meetings. 

•	 A speech by a local leader. 

•	 Posters (placed in settings relevant to 

your target audience such as parks, 

schools, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, 

and libraries). 

•	 A paid advertisement in a newspaper or 

magazine or on the radio. 

•	 Banners at shopping malls or events. 

•	 Collateral materials such as T-shirts, 

baseball caps, water bottles, refrigerator 

magnets, buttons, sticky notes, or key 

chains. 

•	 A staffed table at a health fair or sporting 

event. 

Please refer to the “Materials That Score” 

section on page 54 for sample materials. 


 
Case Study 

Maryland—Smoking Stops Here Introduces HERE Club Card 

Program Overvew and Goal 

Launched by the Maryland Department 

of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Maryland—Smoking Stops Here program (www. 

smokingstopshere.com) the HERE Club 

Card is a unique partnership that brings 

together businesses and citizens who strive 

for a healthier, tobacco-free community 

by combining consumer discounts with 

promotions at participating businesses 

throughout the state. 

The Game Plan—Objectve 

Develop a partnership that provides consumers with a way to support the state’s 

economy, supports tobacco-free lifestyles, 

and provides businesses with a tool to increase revenue. 

The Playbook—Maryland’s 

Wnnng Tactcs and Strateges 

•	 Make it a win for businesses. Participating business partners agree to reward 

HERE Club Card members with special 

discounts for their personal support of 

tobacco-free lifestyles. In return, businesses have an opportunity to increase 

revenue, attract new customers, retain 

regular patrons, and decrease both 

smoking-related productivity losses and 

smoking-attributable medical expenditures. 

•	 Make it a win for consumers. Marylanders choosing to join the HERE Club 

Card program will have the chance to 

save money by taking advantage of special HERE Club Card member discounts 

while making a personal commitment to 

a tobacco-free lifestyle. People become 

members by agreeing to pledge their 

support for the Maryland—Smoking 

Stops Here program goals, which include smoking cessation and the reduction of tobacco-related illnesses. 

•	 Actively promote the program and 

tobacco-free messages. The HERE Club 

is actively promoted at the hundreds of 

community events in which the Maryland—Smoking Stops Here program 

regularly participates. The program 

serves as a new tool to deliver positive 

tobacco-free messages to Maryland’s 

youth, young adults, and parents. 

The Scoreboard—Results 

Eighty-seven businesses representing 123 

locations throughout the state of Maryland 

have joined the program as founding business partners. The partners include national 

chains, regional companies, and several 

independently-owned businesses representing a variety of industries. 


 
Sample Prnt PSA 

This print ad informs readers about tobacco-free park policies in Minnesota. 

Sample Poster 

Members of the Minnesota Wild hockey team are featured in this Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation 

program poster. 

“As the Captain of the U.S. 

Women’s National Soccer Team, 

I wanted to do whatever I could 

to be the best and to help my 

team win. Along the way I realized that being successful took 

a lot more than playing well. It 

was being a role model for the 

next generation. Working hard 

was a big part of being fit, but 

my success came from making 

good decisions along the way, 

too—like not smoking. I know 

the habits I developed will help 

me lead a healthy and active 

life. I hope the young people 

today can help us get back on 

track as a nation and get fit, stay 

away from smoking, and make 

their dreams come true.” 

Julie Foudy 

U.S. Women’s National Team 

1987–2000 

Two-time World Champion; 

two-time Olympic Gold 

Medalist 


 
Sample Tradng Card 

Minnesota’s Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation program featured the Minnesota Twins mascot in 

tobacco-free baseball trading cards. 

T.C., Minnesota Twins Mascot 


 
Post-Game Analyss: Evaluatng Your Program/Event 

What Is Program Evaluaton? 

In sports, it has been said, “It’s not just 

about winning; or losing; it’s about how 

you play the game.” In program evaluation, it’s about that and more. Evaluation 

often is defined as the examination of the 

value, merit, or worth of a program. A 

public health program, such as TobaccoFree Sports (TFS), may be broadly defined 

as any set of organized activities supported 

by a set of resources to achieve a specific and 

intended result,11, 12 thus, almost any organized public health action toward tobacco 

control can 

be seen as able to benefit from program 

evaluation. 

The evaluator may use both qualitative 

information and quantitative measures to 

obtain findings for rational decisionmaking 

about program implementation and whether program goals and objectives have been 

accomplished. The decisions can be used to 

help clarify program plans, to enhance communication between partners and stakeholders, and to provide feedback needed for 

program effectiveness. Program evaluation 

is a systematic way to improve and account 

for program actions involving methods that 

are useful, feasible, ethical, and accurate. 

In basic terms, does the program do what 

it was supposed to do? Evaluation helps to 

answer that question. 

Keep in mind that program evaluation 

is influenced by real-world constraints. 

Evaluation should be practical and feasible 

and must be conducted within the confines 

of resources and time, and contextual factors (e.g., culture, politics, school programs) 

should be considered. Evaluation should 

serve a purpose, be conducted in an ethical 

manner, and produce accurate findings. 

How Should Evaluaton Begn? 

Before you start your tobacco-free sports 

program, set up a plan to see how your 

program is operating and what effects it is 

producing. A logic model for evaluation 

can help you do this (discussed with examples on page 51). With a logic model, you 

can strengthen your program and increase 

its effectiveness and impact over time. 

What you discover through evaluation 

can help you influence the people who allocate funds and set policies. These findings 

also show elected officials, policy makers, and others who are interested in your 

program’s success that you are accountable. 

To help you plan your evaluation, review 

and use the six steps recommended in the 

CDC’s Framework for Program Evaluation 

in Public Health.13 

The six steps to evaluation are: 

1.	 Engage stakeholders—those involved, 

those affected, and the primary intended 

users. 

2.	 Describe the program—the need, expected effects, activities, resources, stage, 

context, and logic model. 

3.	 Focus the evaluation design—the pur

pose, users, uses, questions, methods, 

and agreements. 

4.	 Gather credible evidence—the outcome 

indicators, sources, quality, quantity, and 

logistics. 

5.	 Justify conclusions—the standards (utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy), 

analysis and synthesis, interpretation, 

judgment, and recommendations. 

6.	 Ensure that evaluation findings are used, 

and share lessons learned—the design, 

preparation, feedback, follow-up, and 

dissemination. 

­


 
“Smoking and sports don’t mix. 

I want my players to run up and 

down the field for 90 minutes 

and they need to have healthy 

lungs. They need to make good 

choices about what they put into 

their body, and inhaling cigarette smoke is not a good choice. 

Staying fit, healthy, and tobacco 

free allowed me to accomplish 

my goals on and off the field. Be 

sure you reach your dreams by 

making one important decision—don’t’ smoke.” 

Amanda Cromwell 

Head Coach, University of 

Central Florida 

U.S. Women’s National Team 

Member 

In addition, the CDC offers technical 

assistance to state health departments and 

provides a wealth of information to help you 

conduct evaluation. For more information, 

go to www.cdc.gov/eval. 

When Should Evaluaton be 

Conducted? 

Evaluate before and during (formative evaluation) the program and after the program 

(short-term, intermediate, and long-term 

outcome evaluation). Before a tobacco-free 

sports program is planned, you can conduct 

a needs assessment to determine the gaps 

in community services related to tobacco 

control and youth, and these needs can be 

used to shape the program. The results of 

the needs assessment might determine that 

a tobacco-free sports program might be an 

effective tool to reduce tobacco use among 

youth. 

How Is Evaluaton Done? 

In sports, coaches informally conduct 

formative evaluation on a regular basis, 

to monitor and judge the performance of 

the team and individual athletes while the 

performance is still modifiable. Information is collected, which can take the form of 

quantitative (objective measurements) or 

qualitative (subjective) data, to help a coach 

make rational decisions for determining 

needed changes. For example, during practice or during a game, a coach may consider 

a player’s batting average or pitching speed, a 

sprinter’s run time and the distance, the accuracy of a golfer’s swing, or the game score. 

A coach also may use qualitative measures 

to assess performance, including a gymnast’s 

stance or position, a punter’s kick style, or a 

batter’s swing, to determine if modifications 

are needed. The coach may then discuss 

and demonstrate the change with the athlete. Formative evaluation is useful because 

it allows the coach and player to identify 

and address problems and make revisions 

before or during the game, and it increases 

the likelihood that the team will succeed. 

Similarly, in public health programs, 

formative evaluation allows for continuous 

evaluation of the program, from conception 

to planning to development to implementation. It helps stakeholders make rational 

decisions for changes that will improve 

the program’s performance while it is still 

modifiable. 

The formative evaluation of a TFS 

program may use process data collection 

techniques, such as the number of requests 

for materials, the number of participants 

who attend or participate in oral screenings, 

the number of calls for TFS information 

during a month, the number of TFS-related 

stories that appear in the local media, focus 

group testing of messages directed to youth, 

expert feedback from external and internal 

reviewers on program materials, and the 

evaluation of the effectiveness of instructors’ 

presentations to youth. 

Formative evaluation can determine 

whether proposed messages are likely 

to reach, to be understood by, and to be 

accepted by the people you are trying to 

serve; show the strengths and weaknesses of 

written materials; determine how people in 

the target population receive information 

(e.g., which newspapers they read or radio 

stations they listen to, whom the target 

0
 
population respects as a spokesperson); 

and provide details that program developers may have overlooked about materials, 

strategies, or mechanisms for distributing 

information. For example, sharing lessons 

learned from the evaluation of TFS programs helps others to plan, develop, and 

revise their programs. Formative evaluation strengthens the potential for a positive 

outcome. 

Outcome evaluation is used to assess 

short-term, intermediate, and long-term 

effects of the program. Short-term outcomes describe the immediate effects of 

your program. They might include children’s increased awareness of the dangers 

of using tobacco or changes in their attitudes about tobacco use. Intermediate 

outcomes describe changes that occur after 

your program has had a chance to affect 

behaviors, norms, or policies. They might 

include changes in children’s behaviors, 

social norms, or the surrounding environment. Long-term outcomes take years to 

achieve. They might include reductions in 

tobacco-related illnesses and deaths. Outcome evaluation provides documentation 

to determine what was right and wrong 

with the program; the effectiveness of the 

communication messages, instructional 

program, materials, and instructors; and 

which intervention activities are effective 

in producing changes (i.e., have the goals 

and objectives of the program have been 

attained?). 

In sports, a coach, team owner, or school 

reviews the team’s win-loss record at the 

end of the game, tournament, or season. 

Similarly, at the end of the fiscal year, the 

sum of the qualitative and quantitative data 

is analyzed and evaluated to determine 

whether the tobacco-free sports program 

has been effective in reaching its goals. In 

sports, if the results are positive, the team 

owner, school, or university, may use the 

results to justify continuing the program, 

renew the coach’s contract, or maintain the 

same group of players. If the evaluation 

shows a program as ineffective, then further 

program activity may not be necessary. If 

a program coordinator can offer appropriate contextual reasons why the program was 

ineffective and suggests ways to modify it to 

be more effective, the program may be continued and could receive further funding. 

Common data collection strategies 

include questionnaires and surveys, selfreport inventories; structured interviews, 

open-ended interviews, and role-play; 

scenarios; story telling; simulations; direct 

observation; and document review. Data 

collection strategies vary and depend on the 

logic model, evaluation plan, and evaluation 

questions to be answered. 

Why Use a Logc Model for Evaluaton? 

Simply stated, does the program do what 

it was supposed to do? The logic model 

helps answer this question. It describes 

how a program works either for an existing program or for a potential or proposed 

program. The logic model makes the 

underlying assumptions explicit and reveals 

the inner workings of the program. There 

are several reasons why a logic model can 

help your evaluation: (1) It is an explicit 

blueprint for the evaluation. It improves 

the evaluation by guiding the efforts to mea­


 
sure and document progress at each step 

in the model, to reach the final goal, and 

to increase the potential for success; (2) It 

eliminates gaps or logical problems with the 

program and clearly identifies the consequences or outcomes of the program; (3) It 

helps build community support and allows 

the public to clearly know what is expected 

of the program effort (when programs are 

clear, the community knows what to expect, 

and collaborating partners know how they 

can contribute to the effort); and (4) It 

helps involved individuals be accountable 

because it identifies clearly what is expected.

The logic model lets others know what the 

program is supposed to accomplish and 

gives indications of how you will measure 

that accomplishment. The vocabulary 

of evaluation terms used with the logic 

model are alternate terms and definitions 

evolve and are used. For example, the 

terms “impact” and “outcome” refer to the 

consequences or after-effects of programs. 

For some, these terms are synonymous 

and interchangeable. Others make subtle 

distinctions in the use of these terms. Often 

there is a time dimension between impacts 

and outcomes, with outcomes usually refer

ring to more immediate consequences and 

impact to the longer-term consequences: 

•	 Inputs—the resources invested in the 

program such as dollars or days. 

•	 Activities—actions and activities that 

create the outputs. 

•	 Outputs—results of an organization’s 

activities, including programs, products, 

curricula, etc. 

•	 Outcomes—changes that occur relatively 

soon after a program starts, sometime 

after a program has started, or longerterm changes that are a result of the 

program. 

The sample logic model on page 53 

describes the inputs, activities, outputs, and 

outcomes for Tobacco-Free Sports Programs 

in states. 

­


 
What Decsons Can Be Made from Evaluaton? 

Three basic decisions can be made: (1) replicate the program exactly as it was originally 

developed and implemented; (2) remedy the 

program based upon the evaluation (at this 

point the program may be adapted or modified while the program is still modifiable); 

or (3) eliminate the program (the program 

is not replicated as designed). 

What makes program evaluation different from the sort of informal assessment 

that any smart and dedicated coach is doing 

all the time? Mainly, it is that evaluation is 

conducted according to a set of guidelines 

(protocols) that are systematic, consistent, 

and comprehensive to assure the accuracy of 

the results. 


 
“Growing up, my grandfather 

was one of my biggest fans, 

always on the sidelines cheering 

me on. Sadly, he lost the ability 

to be my personal cheerleader 

when he was diagnosed with 

emphysema, caused by many 

years of smoking. Eventually, emphysema took his life. 

Smoking doesn’t just affect the 

person who lights up, but entire 

families.” 

Leslie Osborne 

U.S. Women’s National Team 

Materals That Score 

You can use many free marketing and education materials in your tobacco-free sports 

campaign. Check out the helpful resources 

available from national health and sports 

organizations listed in the “Resources” 

section of this book starting on page 58. 

Included in this section are some materials and templates to get you started. These 

materials, as well as the Tobacco-Free Sports 

logo, tobacco-free sports posters, and a fact 

sheet on smoking rates and effects are available on the Web site at www.cdc.gov/tobacco/youth/index.htm. 

• Sample speech. 

• Tobacco-free policy template. 

• Certificate of appreciation template. 

• Certificate of participation template. 

Sample Speech 

The following text is a generic example of 

a short speech that you can use to kickoff 

a local campaign in support of World No 

Tobacco Day. To make it more relevant to 

your audience, try to insert local statistics 

about kids’ sports (e.g., the number of 

youth enrolled in community and school 

programs). Quotes from local persons also 

would add interest to your speech. Ask local 

athletes who have chosen not to smoke or 

prominent public officials who support your 

event for inspirational wording. The speech 

runs about 8 to 10 minutes in length with 

the addition of a few local notes. 

World No Tobacco Day Kick-Off Event 

Good (morning/afternoon/evening). 

Thank you for coming to the (community, county, city, state) kickoff for World 

No Tobacco Day. You now are part of a 

global team that is playing for very high 

stakes—the long-term health of our children. World No Tobacco Day highlights 

the dangers of tobacco use and our right to 

a healthy life for us and future generations. 

Here in the United States, with the support 

of the CDC Office on Smoking and Health, 

we are targeting the tobacco-free message 

at youth. All across the nation, concerned 

coaches, parents, educators, and others who 

care about kids are encouraging our kids to 

choose sports over tobacco use. 

Yogi Berra, the famed baseball player, 

put in his good word for youth sports. He 

said, “I think Little League is wonderful. It 

keeps the kids out of the house.” [PAUSE 

for laughter.] Sports do so much for kids. 

Getting kids involved in sports boosts their 

self-esteem and encourages fair play and 

self-discipline. Sports participation also increases their level of physical activity, which 

will help to prevent childhood obesity and 

its complications. 

Participating in sports is an excellent 

alternative to tobacco use. Research conducted by the CDC’s Office on Smoking 

and Health confirms this. High school kids 

who participate in at least one sport are 40 

percent less likely to be regular smokers. 

They are 50 percent less likely to be heavy 

smokers. 

Why is this so? Because kids who play 

sports want to win...and because informed 

kids are more likely to make smart decisions. Each year, about 20 million American kids sign up for youth sports. [Insert 

available local statistics here.] Sports are 

our golden opportunity to let kids know: 

Smoking reduces athletic performance and 


 
endurance, decreases lung capacity, and 

elevates the heart rate. To be a strong, winning performer in sports and in life, avoid 

tobacco. 

Here in our [community, city, county, 

or state], [organization] has teamed up with 

[sport] to promote the message behind 

World No Tobacco Day. Our message is 

that we can prevent our kids from getting 

hooked on tobacco! This is what research 

conducted by the CDC’s Office of Smoking and Health suggests: If we can keep kids 

tobacco-free until they graduate from high 

school, most will never start using tobacco.

 [Time period, e.g., today, during the 

next week, month], we will be holding [insert your local activities/events] to encour

age our kids to choose sports participation 

over smoking. [Describe how you will be 

promoting the tobacco-free message, such 

as passing out free anti-smoking posters to 

all who attend or having a celebrity make 

a guest appearance.] [If using a celebrity, 

insert a quote from the person about why 

they are participating in the event. Hint: 

many celebrities appreciate having a quote 

written for them to be used with their approval. Here’s an example: “Sports activities are a great way to educate youth about 

the dangers of tobacco use, provide them 

with the skills needed to refuse tobacco, and 

demonstrate the benefits of living tobacco 

free,” said (name), of (organization). “Many 

­

health-related behaviors are established during childhood, so we need to help kids make 

positive choices before damaging behaviors 

start or become a habit.”] 

Bring your kids to the events. Encourage your [students/neighbors/coworkers] to 

attend. Let’s get this community involved. 

We want everyone who cares about kids to 

cheer them on to a healthy, tobacco-free life. 

Every day in the United States, more 

than 1,500 young people become daily 

smokers. Most of them mistakenly believe 

they could quit if they wanted to. In fact, 

addiction can occur after smoking as few 

as 100 cigarettes and it can take numerous 

tries to quit smoking successfully. Smokeless tobacco carries its own risks. Smokeless 

tobacco use by adolescents is associated with 

health problems that vary from gum disease 

to oral cancer. This is the hardest fact to accept: If the current trend of youth smoking 

continues, 6.4 million of our children eventually will die of tobacco-related diseases. 

Preventing youth from smoking is our 

World Series, our World Cup, and our 

Super Bowl. Here in [community, county, 

city, state], we are committed to promoting 

sports as an alternative to youth tobacco 

use. World No Tobacco Day is part of our 

[community, county, city, state’s] game plan. 

We all win when kids know the score about 

smoking...and pick sports and healthy choices 

as their winning team for life. Thank you. 

“As a goalkeeper, one of my 

responsibilities is to be the vocal 

leader organizing the defense 

and reading the field. My voice 

is as important as my ability to 

save and block shots and clear 

the ball. Without a strong voice 

as the final line of defense, my 

team could falter. If I smoked 

cigarettes or am even around 

secondhand smoke, it effects my 

ability to speak and yell at the 

loudest level possible to get my 

team in shape.” 

Hope Solo 

U.S. Women’s National
 

Soccer Team
 


 
Tobacco-Free Polcy Template 

[County government seal] 

[County government contact information, including contact name and department] 

[Date] 

RECREATION AND PARKS POLICY STATEMENT # ___________ 

TO:
 

RECREATION AND PARKS STAFF
 

SUBJECT:
 

USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AT RECREATION COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
 

1.	 Purpose 

To establish guidelines with respect to the use of tobacco products during recreation 

council youth activities. 

2.	 Background 

The recreation councils sponsor a wide variety of activities for the county’s youth and 

have direct access to these youth through many volunteers. Studies have shown that 

exposure to secondhand smoke can have an adverse effect on an individual’s health. 

Furthermore, there is concern that exposure to adults in positions of authority (such as 

coaches, program leaders, umpires, etc.) who use tobacco products sets a bad example for 

the county’s youth. 

3.	 Action 

To uniformly address the issue of tobacco use at recreation council-sponsored youth 

activities, the following procedures are established: 

a.	 The use of tobacco products immediately before, during, or immediately after recreation council-sponsored youth activities is prohibited within 50 yards of the playing 

field or program site. 

b.	 This policy will be in effect at all recreation council-sponsored youth programs regardless of location and includes (but is not limited to) school, county park, municipal park, and private locations. 

c.	 It is not in any way the intention of [agency/department] to deter any potential 

volunteer from offering their services due to this policy. Further, we remain hopeful 

that all will cooperate and abide by this policy without confrontation with recreation 

council program leaders. Questions or concerns regarding this policy should be 

directed to the [agency/department] at [telephone number/e-mail address] 


 
4. Effective Date 

This policy statement is effective immediately and will remain in effect until canceled or 

superseded. 

[Signature block of county official] 

This tobacco-free policy template was derived from the January 24, 2001, Carroll County, 

Maryland Department of Enterprise & Recreation Services Recreation and Parks Policy 

Statement #01-1. 

Certficate of Apprecaton Template 

[Date] 

[Name of organization] extends its sincere appreciation to [name of individual/organization/municipality] for [its/his/her/their] efforts to protect the health of the public by 

[specific activity, such as adopting a tobacco-free policy for its youth recreational facilities] 

[Signature of relevant official(s)] 

Tobacco-Free Player’s Pledge Template 

TOBACCO-FREE PLAYER’S PLEDGE
 

I, as a member of
 

[Team/league/activity]
 

Know that tobacco use harms my health, hinders my physical performance, and is dangerous to those around me. I pledge to be tobacco free because I care about my health and the 


health of those around me.
 

[Date]
 

[Player]
 

[Coach] 



 
Resources 

Campagn Plannng 

Making Health Communication Programs 

Work (The “Pink Book”): www.cancer. 

gov/pinkbook 

Tools of Change: Proven Methods for Promoting Health, Safety and Environmental 

Citizenship: www.toolsofchange.com/ 

Community Tool Box: http://ctb.ku.edu/ 

tools/en/chapter_1007.htm 

Theory of a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice: www.cancer.gov/theory.pdf 

Campagn Evaluaton 

Center for the Advancement of Community Based Public Health. An Evaluation 

Framework for Community Health Programs. 

Durham, NC: Center for the Advancement 

of Community Based Public Health, 2000. 

www.cdc.gov/eval/evalcbph.pdf 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly 

Report 1999; 48(RR-11) 

Patton MQ. Utilization-focused evaluation: 

The new century text. 3rd ed. Thousand 

Oaks, CA: Sage, 1997 

Scriven, M. Minimalist theory of evaluation: The least theory that practice requires. 

American Journal of Evaluation 1998; 19:57­

70 

W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Evaluation Handbook. 1998. www.wkkf. 

org/Programming/ResourceOverview. 

aspx?CID=281&ID=770 

W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Logic Model 

Development Guide. 2004. www.wkkf. 

org/Programming/ResourceOverview. 

aspx?CID=281&ID=3669 

Polcy Development 

American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation Tobacco Industry Tracking Database©: 

www.tidatabase.org/ 

Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights—Taking 

Local Action for Smokefree Air: www.nosmoke.org/document.php?id=273 

Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids: www. 

tobaccofreekids.org 

Community Tool Box—Advocacy for 

Change: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/tk/en/tools_ 

tk_10.jsp 

Community Tool Box—Influencing Policy 

Development: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/tk/en/ 

tools_tk_11.jsp 

National Tobacco-Free Rodeo Project/California Statewide Buck Tobacco Sponsorship 

Project: http://www.bucktobacco.org/ 

Now Hear This. The Nine Laws of Successful Advocacy Communications: www. 

fenton.com/pages/5_resources/pdf/ 

Packard_Brochure.pdf 

Smoking Policy for Petco Park, home of the 

Major League Baseball San Diego Padres: 

http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/ 

lb/sd/ballpark/petcopark_a-z.jsp#S 

Smoking Policy for Raley Field, home of the 

Minor League Baseball Sacramento River 

Cats: http://rivercats.com/raley/atoz/#69 

Technical Assistance Legal Center—Model 

Policy for Motor Sports: Prohibiting Tobacco Sponsorship: http://talc.phlaw.org/pdf_ 

files/0004.pdf 

Technical Assistance Legal Center—Model 

Policy for Rodeos: Prohibiting Tobacco 

Sponsorship: http://talc.phlaw.org/pdf_ 

files/0003.pdf 


 
Technical Assistance Legal Center—Model 

Policies for Motor Sports: Requiring SmokeFree/Tobacco Free Grounds or Areas: http:// 

talc.phlaw.org/pdf_files/0036.pdf 

Technical Assistance Legal Center—Model 

Policies for Rodeos: Requiring Smoke-Free/ 

Tobacco-Free Grounds or Areas: http://talc. 

phlaw.org/pdf_files/0045.pdf 

Tobacco, Health, and Youth 

CDC Office on Smoking and Health: www. 

cdc.gov/tobacco/ 

CDC Division of Adolescent and School 

Health: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash 

CDC Division of Nutrition and Physical 

Activity: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa 

CDC Cancer Prevention and Control: www. 

cdc.gov/node.do/id/0900f3ec80193c0d 

CDC Injury Prevention and Control: www. 

cdc.gov/ncipc/ncipchm.htm 

National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov 

United States Department of Agriculture’s 

Team Nutrition Program: 

www.fns.usda.gov/tn 

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and 

Drug Information: www.ncadi.samhsa.gov 

Office of National Drug Policy Control: 

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov 

American Legacy Foundation: www. 

americanlegacy.org 

World Health Organization Tobacco-Free 

Initiative: www.who.int/tobacco 

Spit Tobacco Prevention Network: www. 

nospit.com/nonhome.html 

Health Education Council: www. 

healthedcouncil.org 

Tobacco Intervention Network: www. 

quittobacco.com 

Children Opposed to Smoking Tobacco: 

www.costkids.org 

Oral Health America: www.oralhealth 

-america.org 

American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org 

American Hospital Association: www.americanheart.org 

American Lung Association: www.lungusa. 

org 

National SAFE KIDS Campaign: www. 

Safekids.org 

United Nations International Children’s 

Fund: www.unicef.org 

United Nations Educational, Scientific and 

Cultural Organization: www.unesco.org 

Physcal Actvty and Sports 

National Association for Health & Fitness, 

The Network of State Governor’s Councils: 

www.physicalfitness.org 

President’s Council on Physical Fitness and 

Sports and President’s Challenge: www. 

presidentschallenge.org/ 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 

Hearts N’ Parks: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ 

prof/heart/obesity/hrt_n_pk/index.htm 

Tucker Center for Research on Girls and 

Women in Sport: http://education.umn. 

edu/tuckercenter/ 


 
Women’s Sports Foundation: www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/ 

index.html 

Youth, Amateur, and Professonal 

Sports 

US Youth Soccer Association: www. 

youthsoccer.org
 

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) 


of the USA: www.ymca.net
 

Girl Scouts of USA: www.girlscouts.org
 

Boy Scouts of America: www.scouting.org/
 

US Olympic Committee: www.olympic-usa.
 

org
 

International Olympic Committee: www.
 

olympic.org
 

USA Track & Field: www.usatf.org
 

National Collegiate Athletic Association:
 

www.ncaa.org
 

Major League Baseball: www.mlb.com
 

National Football League: www.nfl.com
 

National Hockey League: www.nhl.com
 

National Basketball Association: www.nba.
 

com/
 

Women’s National Basketball Association 


(WNBA): www.wnba.com/
 

Major League Soccer: www.mlsnet.com
 

US Soccer Federation: www.us-soccer.com
 

Women’s United Soccer Association: www.
 

wusa.com
 

US Tennis Association: www.usta.com
 

Federation Internationale de Football 

(FIFA): www.fifa.com 

Federation Internationale de l’Automobile 

(Formula One): www.fia.com 

General Association of International Sports 

Federations: www.agfisonline.com 

Publcatons and Meda Resources 

The Sports Market Place Directory. This directory contains current information about 

pro sports teams and athletic organizations, 

calendars of events, and more. It has a CDROM companion and is updated each year. 

For more information or to order, contact 

Grey House Publishing at (800) 562-2139 

or visit www.greyhouse.com/sports.htm. 

Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal. This 

weekly magazine provides comprehensive 

and up-to-the-minute information on 

sports details, politics, and marketing. For 

more information or to subscribe, contact 

(800) 829-9839. 

ESPN: www.espn.com 

CNN/Sports Illustrated: www.cnnsi.com 

Professonal Assocatons 

American Alliance for Health, Physical 

Education, Recreation and Dance: www. 

aahperd.org 

National Association for Sport and Physical 

Education: www.aahperd.org/naspe/ 

National Athletic Trainers’ Association: 

www.nata.org 

0
 
Professional Basketball Athletic Trainers’ 

Society: www.pbats.com 

American College of Sports Medicine: www. 

acsm.org 

Endnotes 

1.	 Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Youth and Tobacco Use: 

Current Estimates: Fact Sheet. December 

2006. www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_ 

statistics/Factsheets/youth_tobacco.htm 

2.	 Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Tobacco Use and the 

Health of Young People. www.cdc.gov/ 

Healthyyouth/tobacco/facts.htm 

3.	 Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior 

Surveillance—United States, 2005. 

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 

2006: 55(SS-5), 12. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ 

PDF/SS/SS5505.pdf 

4.	 U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. The Health Consequences of 

Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, National Center for 

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health 

Promotion, Office on Smoking and 

Health, 2004. www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ 

data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004/chapters. 

htm 

National Strength and Conditioning Association: www.nsca-lift.org/ 

5. Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Annual smoking-attributable 

mortality, years of potential life lost, 

and productivity losses—United States, 

1997–2001. Morbidity and Mortality 

Weekly Report 2005;54(25):625­

628. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/
 

mmwrhtml/mm5425a1.htm
 

6. Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Health United States, 2006, 

With Chartbook on Trends in the Health 

of Americans. Hyattsville, MD: CDC, 

National Center for Health Statistics; 

2003. 

7. McGinnis J, Foege WH. Actual causes 

of death in the United States. Journal 

of the American Medical Association 

1993;270:2207-2212. 

8. Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Smokeless Tobacco: Fact Sheet, 

December 2007. www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ 

data_statistics/Factsheets/smokeless_ 

tobacco.htm 


 
9. U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. The Health Consequences of 

Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: 

A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, 

Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, Coordinating 

Center for Health Promotion, 

National Center for Chronic Disease 

Prevention and Health Promotion, 

Office on Smoking and Health, 2006. 

www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/ 

secondhandsmoke/report/ 

10. California Environmental Protection 

Agency. Proposed Identification of 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a 

Toxic Air Contaminant. Part B: Health 

Effects. Sacramento (CA): California 

Environmental Protection Agency, 

Office of Environmental Health Hazard 

Assessment, 2005. 

11. Scriven, M. Minimalist theory of 

evaluation: The least theory that practice 

requires. American Journal of Evaluation 

1991:19:57-70. 

12. Patton MQ. Utilization-focused 

evaluation: The new century text. 3rd ed. 

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1997. 

13. Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Framework for program 

evaluation in public. Morbidity and 

Mortality Weekly Report 1999;48 (No. 

RR-11). www.cdc.gov/eval/framework. 

htm