Wasted Days Collegiate Athletes and Underage Drinking

COLLEGE DATA 2005

 

  

The studies show that: 63% OF COLLEGE CRIMINAL ACTS COMMITTED BY FRESHMAN

• 1,700 college students die every year in alcohol-related incidents. NEARLY HALF FRESHMAN

• More than 600,000 college students are assaulted each year by other students who have been drinking.

• More than 500,000 college students are injured each year in alcohol-related accidents.

• There were 30,517 campus arrests for liquor law violations in 2002.

• About 5 percent of college students are involved with the police or campus security as a result of drinking.

• More than 70,000 students annually are victims of date rape or sexual assault in incidents where alcohol is a factor.

• Two of five college students are binge drinkers.

ATHLETES 82.2% drink 3-5 6-9 10 OR MORE drinks when they drink
84% of Athletes drink 1-2X 3-4X or 5X or > in a normal week

• About 2.1 million students between 18 and 24 drive while intoxicated.

• More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem each year.

• Underage drinking costs the country $53 billion annually.

ATHLETES ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST POPULATIONS INVOLVED IN THESE PROBLEM AREAS

 

SOURCES: THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM, THE CAMPAIGN FOR ALCOHOL-FREE SPORTS TV, SECURITY ON CAMPUS INC. AAI

 

 

 Team Dynamics:

The power of being on a team has a magnitude far greater than most peer associations, in that the amount of time spent in such close relationships, compounded by the pack mentality and goal cohesion exerts a pressure to follow social group norms despite personal values that may be in conflict with such decisions.

Within any team lies the power for good and bad…or positive or negative norms, behaviors and lifestyles. For example, positive team or individual values like focus, dedication and commitment, are components associated with team and individual effectiveness and both goal and social cohesion.

Looking for the positive lifestyle both on and off the field has been overlooked far too long. Today’s athlete must begin to think about what they are doing off the field that ruins what they are trying to do on the field.  A four to six year window of opportunity in high school can pass by with the individual failing to realize their full athletic, academic or social potential due to the use of alcohol and other drugs.

It is specifically within the social group, then, that we can expect to find the causes of social alcohol and drug use.  It is quite well established that groups have traditionally had a powerful influence on the behavior of their members…Especially teams. It is also quite well established that time spent in close association with peers has profound impact on group behaviors, especially when there is a strongly established pack mentality.

 

 

NCAA STUDY DATA Athlete Drinking Dynamics

# of drinking occasions in typical school week (7 days)

• None   15.1%

• 1-2x    69.4%

• 3-4x    13.2%

• 5x >     2.4%

#  of drinks usually one sitting

• 1-2 drinks   17.8%

• 3-5 drinks   38.9%

• 6-9 drinks   29.8%

• 10 or more drinks 13.5%

 

• 68.7% 3-5 or 6-9 drinks

• 82.2% total use with (- effect)

Competitive season vs. Off-season and alcohol use

• I don’t use during the competitive season.  18.0%

• Less use during the competitive season.  65.0%

• No difference between competitive or off-season.  15.9%

• More use during competitive season       1.1%             

Do you drink at the following times?

• Before practice  1.2%

• After practice    31.3%

• After competition  66.4%

 

AAI RESEARCH BULLETS

The American Athletic Institute has conducted recent significant studies that have more to say to your athletes than “partying will hurt your performance potential.”

 

Listed below are some of those findings:

• Each time an athlete drinks to intoxication, it negates as much as fourteen days of training effect

• Training hormones are diminished for up to 96 hours (4 days)

• Drinking alcohol after training negates training effect (33% of NCAA athletes report consuming alcohol after training)

• Residual effect of alcohol from elite athlete lab test shows negative effect on Heart Rate, Lactic Acid / Muscle Performance and Respiratory/ Ventilation levels. (from a 23 year old National Team Member)

• Muscle protein synthesis ( repair of muscle fiber ) is diminished, predominately in your fast twitch muscle fibers

• B vitamin deficiency resulting from diuretic effect of alcohol and subsequent dehydration affects recovery and conversion of hormone precursors into androgenic training hormones

• Reaction time can be affected even twelve hours after alcohol consumption.