Do not cheat by doping. Athletics provide young people a positive opportunity to get involved and be part of a team, build self-esteem and character, and learn that their futures are too bright to waste on drugs. By providing safe afterschool and weekend activities, athletics can also help shelter young people from peer and other societal pressures to take drugs. Studies show that young people who get involved in sports tend to use drugs less than their peers who are not athletically involved. By getting children involved in sports, we reduce youth drug use.
Mentors can coach kids away from drugs.
Children who are involved in sports are also protected through mentoring from their coaches. Many of our Nation's strongest adult mentors and role models wear whistles and call plays when they're not teaching lifelong lessons. As mentors, coaches are winners. By getting more adults involved as coaches and increasing the numbers of coaches trained in substance abuse prevention, we can reduce youth drug use. Athletes shape attitudes.