Teens, Athletes, Parents, and Drinking: What's a Parent To Do?

In keeping in line with my last piece, Current High School Athletic Codes: Are You Aware They Have Changed?, I would like you to try something for me. Using your internet browser, pull up Google and type in High School Athletes Suspended for Drinking. Now click search and peruse what comes up.

Take a good look at the number of articles indicating suspensions for underage consumption of alcohol by athletes. Not much from 2010, certainly not yet anyway, but a good number from 2009 and earlier.

Current High School Athletic Codes: Are You Aware They Have Changed?

I am not sure about all of you, but back in my high school athletic days, I remember our athletic code focusing on a few basic points. You know, passing a certain number of classes, not smoking, drinking, and/or using drugs, showing good sportsmanship, etc. Basically, not engaging in behavior that was unbecoming an athlete - vague, yet understandable. And all of it centered on the athlete themselves not participating in said activities.

Were there some that did? Of course, and it is probably misleading to use that word "some" since that would indicate a small number. Back during the 70's when I was in high school, there were many more than some who broke the athletic code. With regard to this, not much has changed over the last 35 - 40 some odd years.

Sports and Ethics: The Debate Over Performance Enhancement

Several of my recent articles explore the continued debate over the use of performance enhancement substances with regard to possible baseball Hall of Fame nominees, the MLB blood testing for HGH, and suggested guidelines that differentiate between appropriate versus non-appropriate sports performance enhancement practices.

I know there are some who believe that performance enhancement drug (PED) use is no big deal, that maybe it would be best to just legalize all of it, and that the entertainment value of higher levels of performance is most important. Then there are those whose beliefs operate on a completely different plane, the opposite of that which I just described. And, of course, there are those whose thoughts on this topic fall somewhere between these two extremes.