Drugs and Alcohol - Dirty Little Secrets

[MysterE]

Good evening CD,

I was having a conversation with a former member today and something came up that - while not shocking - did cause me to think long and hard about how I handle certain things on my team. Very often, because the students that are part of the team compete well and with gracious professionalism, I like to believe that their lives outside of the team are as innocent as they seem while at the build site.

Unfortunately, this is not always true.

While I will not say that I have a rampant problem of drug and alcohol use on my team, I also know that it would be ludicrous to believe that it does not exist at all. Further, I can list specific people and instances where I know that at least one has been in use by my high schoolers.

I think in large part many coaches attempt to turn a blind eye to these things. Because of the trust my students put in me as a coach, I am often privy to discussions about their lives that they would not bring to others. I hear of everything from relationship problems to family issues and for the most part, I believe my job is to create a safe space for students to learn and to grow in all areas of their lives.

How then, do you think that the issues of drug and alcohol abuse should be handled? Again, this is not something that is done on trips or while present with the team - it is something that happens when they go home, with their friends. My deepest concern is that some of these kids - who are often the best and brightest might simply cut their dreams short - because after all both drinking and drug use are illegal activities. One arrest could mean the loss of a scholarship and the destruction of a student's future.

Thoughts?