Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/106685
Scoring with Sobriety Athletes Are Finding that alcohol can offset all the hard work they put in on and off the ice By Chris Peters nywhere you go, any high school, there's going to be drinking," says Dan Labosky, a senior forward for the Benilde-St. Margaret's High School varsity hockey team in St. Louis Park, Minn. Parents may not like hearing such statements, but for high school students across the country, they know the reality. Athletes, in particular, are typically associated with peer groups where alcohol consumption and partying can be prevalent. With popularity comes peer pressure, which has a huge affect on the decisions that athletes have to make. This is the nature of being a teenager in today's world. Players like Labosky and senior teammate T.J. Moore are no strangers to these daily decisions. "You do feel [peer pressure]," admits Moore, who helped BSM capture the Minnesota Class AA state title last season. "It's hard to look at your buddy and say 'No, I'm not going to [drink].' " "The kids at school tempt you," adds Labosky, who is verbally committed to play hockey at Colorado College. "You just got to know it's not worth it. I don't want to risk it." When it came to making a decision about how to handle the temptations of drinking, both Labosky and Moore found hockey to be the most convincing part of the decision-making process. "I've been talking to my dad a lot lately and he said, 'Don't drink until you want to stop being a hockey player,'" Moore says. "That's kind of what I'm living by right now." As important as parental advice can be, it doesn't always strike a responsive chord, which is why the team setting can offer a positive support group for hockey players. Even then, there's no guarantee it will lead to better decisions. "There's no question, we try to send the positive message of not to [drink], but we are also not naïve," says Ken Pauly, head coach at Benilde-St. Margaret's. "No matter what the coach says or how much hockey means to [the players], that can seem a million miles away on a Friday night and those temptations are there." Pauly knows that it's the players' peers that could have the biggest impact on the decisions they make. "My main concern is when [the players] get around people who don't share their same goals and dreams and people who don't truly understand the implications of this stuff," says Pauly, who has been coaching for more than 25 years. "I'm concerned about all kids from that standpoint. Their peer group is a lot more powerful than we are." Not every player may find him or herself in the same situation as the players at BSM, but there are other equally important factors to consider for athletes faced with a decision regarding drinking. The consequences of underage drinking are well documented from both legal and health standpoints, but there can also be significant detriment to athletic performance and the training required to achieve success on the ice. "My main concern is when [the players] get around people who don't share their same goals and dreams and people who don't truly understand the implications of this stuff." Photo By Jim Rosvold USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM — Ken Pauly Head coach at BenildeSt. Margaret's February. 2013 31