The news came down like a completely expected ton of bricks. Clemson, the top ranked team in the country, would be sending three players home and suspending them from playing in their semifinal game of the playoff. The cause is being reported as failed drug tests, but nothing seems to be confirmed yet. And as vague as the term may be, I’m okay with them just calling them violations of team rules, because that says everything I need to know.
It’s just that time of year when everyone is busy celebrating and we tend to lower our guard. Players, and occasionally coaches, seem to find themselves in hot water every year as they prepare for their bowl games. But why?
I don’t have any studies or research to cite, but it’s obvious to anyone familiar with the typical schedule of student athletes as to how these issues could arise.
For the first time in months they can return to their home towns for longer than a weekend. Old friends and casual acquaintances raise their hands to offer temptations usually reserved for paying customers. Others simply over indulge in the holiday, failing to navigate icy roads or police checkpoints.
Then there are still the few that make the bowl trip, only to be enticed by the bright lights of a new city. We can make all the curfews and no-go zones we wish. Young men at the peak of their physical conditioning, often starved for months of free time and disposable income, suddenly find themselves in a loose and celebratory environment. They will make the decisions young people make.
I know every time I read news of another player suspended, cited, or dismissed, my first thought is typical. “How stupid can they be?” But then I’m reminded, often by friends and occasionally Facebook, that I’ve made plenty of stupid decisions in my youth. I just didn’t have a coach or team rules to answer to.
That isn’t to say I become flippant toward the indiscretions of players who’ve made mistakes, but it does cause me to sympathize and wonder what more could be done to educate them.
These players, and coaches, and really anyone else with something worth holding on to like a scholarship or job know where the line is. They aren’t ignorant of the rules because a number of good people with better intentions remind them of those rules frequently. The individuals who watch over and guide these players through their careers know about the battle to keep some athletes on the right track.
We all need someone like that at one time or another.
So what is this grand conclusion I’ve come to about how to fix our little problem of young people making mistakes? Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep speaking to them honestly, reminding them not only of the consequences, but of the opportunities ahead. And do it frequently. As connected as we are now, everyone is being pulled in multiple directions, carrying on multiple conversations, and weighing their options constantly.
Provide that little extra weight to tip the scales in their favor. In the end, a little extra attention costs you nothing, but can mean everything to them.
Happy New Year.
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