Bringing to Life a Piece of Paper

THE PROBLEM
Every school year, millions of student athletes across the country sign a code of conduct. This is done with the hope and expectations that chemical health violations and other behaviors of concern will be brought into check. However, for the most part student codes of conduct are poorly written which can lead to nullification either in the courts or simply through parental dissent. Not only is a poorly written code a concern but a well written code can have just as many problems if the people charged with enforcing the code do not apply the rules and regulations fairly and without prejudice. Data collected by the American Athletic Institute substantiated previous claims that athlete alcohol use actually surpasses general student population use between tenth and eleventh grade. Much of the problem was attributed to ineffective codes of conduct.

’s SOLUTION
A well written and properly enforced code of conduct can and does work. The American Athletic Institute's, “Codes of Conduct-Conditions for Involvement” has helped nearly 800 high schools begin the process of rewriting their codes for today’s challenges, while sending a clear message to community, youth and adults that student athlete drug use and other out of character behavior will not be tolerated. This workshop will help attendees discover the purpose of a code, code components and valuable examples of clear and consistent boundaries to guide young student athletes toward adulthood in a program of excellence.