All-Star Substance Free Programs

[CheerBank]

Valid points and while I do agree with holding coaches to a higher standard at competitions, I still don't agree with ruling out alcohol for coaches altogether. I feel like alcohol related stuff is all situational. In the example you mentioned where coaches have taken responsibility for the child when a parent couldn't be there, I would hope that the coach would not be drinking at all. I would hope the gym has an alcohol policy amongst its coaches that includes things like that.

Unless the coach is breaking the law and alcohol is part of it, then I think alcohol policies should be left up to the gyms on what/when/where coaches can drink while "on duty". If laws are broken, let the authorities deal with it and then the USASF can take action. People may have different opinions than me on this and that's fine.

Question for those in favor of the no-alcohol-whatsoever-during-competition-weekends rule: what about the days of cheer related activities that aren't competitions? Camps, choreography, even practices. Should they not be able to drink during those times, too? Why or why not?

I do agree about gyms making their own policies. I guess I am just being idealistic - and perhaps unrealistic - in what I would hope those policies would be, If you had asked me when I was in my 20s I absolutely would have said that if the coaches were off duty then it was their own time to do what they wanted. Even when my former-cp first started cheer and I was in my mid 30s, it did not bother me as much as it does now. Maybe it is because my oldest is now 17 and cp is 14, I see how impressionable many of these kids are with regards to their coaches. Coaches lead by example. I am no way saying they should not drink and have a good time, but maybe the aftermath should not be witnessed by the athletes they coach. And if that means that during a comp weekend they should not go out, get wasted and come back to the hotel for the kids to see, then so be it. And I am not saying that our coaches now do that; as a matter of fact I rarely even see our coaches at the hotel between the time the buses arrive and when the kids leave the hotel for the competition.

 

[dawgshow]

. Coaches lead by example. I am no way saying they should not drink and have a good time, but maybe the aftermath should not be witnessed by the athletes they coach. And if that means that during a comp weekend they should not go out, get wasted and come back to the hotel for the kids to see, then so be it.

This I'll agree with. It's no different than a professional at a conference. A drink or two in an evening? No problem. Bring out the shots? Not the best idea.

 

[kristenthegreat]

Coaches credentialing and athlete registration could require drug testing.

 

[Mo' Bettah]

I just looked online and found this: 5 Panel Drug Test Strip | FDA Cleared Drug Test Kit

It would screen and then the athlete would need further testing, if positive.

Make it part of tryout fees. For athletes on the team, have random testing including the cost in tuition.

You guys do know that you can buy clean urine (I don't think it's actual urine but it does fool the test) at head shops, right?
People who use drugs know how to get around the tests.

 

[Cheeranswers]

I highly suggest everyone to search for "xanax" on this board using the search function.

Why was taking Xanax (numerous times combining it with alcohol) a joking matter in the past?

wow

 

[Cheer Dad]

You guys do know that you can buy clean urine (I don't think it's actual urine but it does fool the test) at head shops, right?
People who use drugs know how to get around the tests.

You can get clean urine which is now why a lot of tests include temperature as well. Very hard to fake.

 

[Mo' Bettah]

You can get clean urine which is now why a lot of tests include temperature as well. Very hard to fake.

If this was in the parent section I would tell you why that is not true, but I digress...

 

[Official OWECheer]

You can get clean urine which is now why a lot of tests include temperature as well. Very hard to fake.

What about blood samples? Or would blood tests take too long to process?

 

[omgitssydthekid]

If this was in the parent section I would tell you why that is not true, but I digress...

@Cheer Dad is right. My mom recently got a job as a phlebotomist and lab tech at a hospital and she said it was the most extensive drug test she's ever been given. They tested for temperature, among other things, to make sure it was actually hers. She passed, of course, but even she said that it even made her nervous because they didn't ask for any prescriptions she was on that could have skewed the test. She's epileptic and was worried that the medication she's on would cause her to fail the test and they basically told her that they didn't want to hear it. Drugs tests are certainly cracking down, and I think it's a positive step in the right direction.

 

[laughAlittle]

wow

Yup. The same people speaking out against drug use and shaming this girl are some of the same ones who have posted about xanax before.

 

[Official OWECheer]

at a nationals once, some girls on my team brought weed but didn't have anything to roll a blunt with. there was a little tobacco/cigar shop but none of the girls were old enough so our coach went in and bought them cigarillos to gut so they could roll up :) yay cheerleading.

don't get me wrong, cheer is most definitely not the only youth activity this is happening in, but it is half of our battle.

I feel like some of these "coaches" are fresh out of the senior division and will do anything to make sure that their senior friends continue to see them as cool.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

I feel like some of these "coaches" are fresh out of the senior division and will do anything to make sure that their friends continue to see them as cool.

I'm 21, and a junior in college. I currently coach a youth 2, junior 1, and junior 3. I cheered with a couple of girls on our senior 4 team my senior year of high school and I would never EVER purchase alcohol (or drugs but I don't do drugs so that's irrelevant) for these girls (or boys). I don't coach any of our senior teams since I used to cheer with some of the girls on them. I can't imagine coaches ever buying alcohol or drugs for athletes. Not all young coaches are irresponsible. My athletes are like my babies, I would never do anything to put them into harms way and it blows my mind that there are coaches that would risk their position to look "cool".

 

[Official OWECheer]

I'm 21, and a junior in college. I currently coach a youth 2, junior 1, and junior 3. I cheered with a couple of girls on our senior 4 team my senior year of high school and I would never EVER purchase alcohol (or drugs but I don't do drugs so that's irrelevant) for these girls (or boys). I don't coach any of our senior teams since I used to cheer with some of the girls on them. I can't imagine coaches ever buying alcohol or drugs for athletes. Not all young coaches are irresponsible. My athletes are like my babies, I would never do anything to put them into harms way and it blows my mind that there are coaches that would risk their position to look "cool".

Oh, I never meant to imply that all young coaches are irresponsible (I'm young myself, there's no way I would stereotype my generation!). It's just that there are some bad apples that ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

Oh, I never meant to imply that all young coaches are irresponsible (I'm young myself, there's no way I would stereotype my generation!). It's just that there are some bad apples that ruin it for the rest of us.

Oh I know! It just drives me nuts that there are coaches that would actually do that. It just risks so much, and it's clearly not worth it. So irresponsible.

 

[Cheer Dad]

What about blood samples? Or would blood tests take too long to process?

. I would think the extra handling required to keep the blood alive during transportation to the lab if collected remotely is not feasible cost wise.

Any one have more accurate information?