Teaching Children to be Good Sports Helps Them Avoid Steroids

(ARA) - In January, President Bush called for legislation against steroid abuse in professional sports. In April, the Drug Free Sports Act began a journey through Congress as states like California, Illinois, Texas and Virginia were considering legislation with provisions to discourage steroid abuse by high school athletes.

Educating our youth about steroid abuse is only part of a larger lesson they need: how to be good sports and have respect for themselves, coaches, teammates and competitors.

An Alabama company, Learning Through Sports, recently joined with the Mountain West Conference -- one of the top collegiate athletic conferences comprised of nine Division I-A institutions -- in a sportsmanship initiative to combat this problem. Together they have launched an online program called STAR Sportsmanship that teaches positive behaviors in an interactive learning format.

The lessons from the program can be used by parents as they teach their children how to behave on the sports field. The four-step principle can also be applied to a variety of situations on and off the playing field. Researchers behind STAR strongly emphasize that parents are the key to keeping kids on track.

The Mountain West Conference, which sponsors the program, has a comprehensive sportsmanship initiative for athletes and is an outspoken advocate for sportsmanship and steroid education programs for youth. "Learning about good sportsmanship starts at home," says Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson. "Parents and peers need to be good models for children to emulate their behaviors. Our professional and amateur athletes also have a responsibility to be good sports."

The MWC advocates the STAR principle of sportsmanship which teaches four simple steps to evaluate their behavior. When faced with a conflict, children should think through the S-T-A-R:

STOP when it's time to make a sportsmanship decision.

THINK how your actions could affect you, your team and your opponents.

ACT right away to show good sportsmanship.

REPLAY your actions in your mind and decide if you showed good sportsmanship.

"When children learn these principles, they can choose the appropriate behavior. Should I yell at the referee for a bad call or should I respect their authority and their decision? Should I use steroids so I can get stronger despite the risks or should I respect my body by eating the right foods and following my coach's training plan?" adds Commissioner Thompson.

Dr. Betsy Rogers, the 2003 National Teacher of the Year, has used the program in her school and agrees with its methodology. "Teaching about good sportsmanship is an exercise in self-evaluation," she says. "It is not as simple as telling a child that they shouldn't use steroids or they shouldn't pick a fight with an opponent. They need to learn first that their actions affect themselves and others. Then they need to learn what actions have negative consequences and can reflect poorly on themselves."

And while all this education forms a basis for good behaviors, parents and peers must be positive role models. "When parents control their own behavior they can be the best role models for their children to learn from. Teachers and coaches can also help by providing strategies for positive behavior that children relate to and can understand," adds Dr. Rogers.

Parents are encouraged to talk with their children about the ranting and ravings of professional athletes they see on television. Ask their child how the athlete looks when being a "poor sport." Could his behavior hurt someone else or make the game less enjoyable? How should he or she have acted? What would you have done in that situation and would that be the right behavior?

Some of the same questions apply when talking about steroid use. "If we teach our children to respect the spirit of athletic competition, then a child will intuitively know that steroid abuse hurts themselves and others," reminds Commissioner Thompson. "It is our responsibility to not only set an example for children to follow but to also provide them with effective decision-making tools. When we as parents aren't there to guide them, our children should know how to be good sports."

For more information on the STAR Sportsmanship program or the STAR principles, visit www.learningthroughsports.com or www.themwc.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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