Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 10. As the coach, I am going to assume that you want me to do everything possible to keep your student athlete safe and healthy this year.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 9. I will enforce the rules regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use this season. That is part of my job as a coach.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 8. Research done by the National Collegiate Athletic Association has shown that if your child uses alcohol during the season, they are twice as likely to get hurt during practice or competition.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 7. Research done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University indicates that if you explicitly tell your teens that you do NOT want them to use alcohol, they are less likely to do so. Parents who weren’t clearly AGAINST their kids drinking = 41% of kids drinking Parents who were clearly AGAINST their kids drinking = 15% of kids drinking. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU TELL YOUR TEENS THAT YOU DON’T WANT THEM TO USE ALCOHOL

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 6. Research done by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that if your teen begins using alcohol before they turn 15, they have a 16% chance of becoming an alcoholic. If they wait until they are 21 before they start drinking, they have a 2.6% chance of becoming an alcoholic. The earlier they start, the greater their risk.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 5. There are hormones like HGH and cortisol, and other chemicals like glucose and glucogen that mean as much to your teen’s health and safety as their mouth guard, eye protection, helmet, or shoulder pads. Messing with these important hormones and chemicals would be like going into practice or competition without proper safety equipment. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use messes these things up.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 4. The white matter in a teen’s brain, the part that sends messages back and forth to the body, isn’t fully developed yet. The part of us adults brains that keeps us from doing dumb things is called the frontal lobe, and IT isn’t fully developed in teens yet either. Put these two facts together and it becomes very important that we, as adults, steer teens in the right direction and help them survive until they graduate.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 3. Energy drinks and other high doses of caffeine are no substitute for sleep. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make your teen drowsy, it messes with the hormones and vital functions that need to be operating at their highest levels if you want me to keep your teen safe and healthy this season.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 2. The chances of your teen going on to play at the college level are about 2%. Chances of going pro,.0001% (1 out of every 10,000) The chances of them getting hurt, messed up, or creating future problems from using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are MUCH higher. My job is to get them through this year and minimizing the chances of those negative things happening. I am not trying to ruin your teen’s chances of getting a scholarship if I discipline them, I am trying to keep them safe and healthy.

Top 10 things every Parent of a Lansing Student Athlete needs to remember this season… 1. I am committed to seeing your teen through this season and this school year. I need your help doing that. By working together, we have a much better chance of having a successful season, and for your teen of making it out safe and healthy.