Students required to behave before they can play

MATT NEVALA

May 15, 2008 at 10:30AM AKST

The Alaska School Activities Association’s new citizenship policy — rules and penalties regarding drug, alcohol and tobacco use by students involved in extracurricular activities — won’t change the games too much, according to a sampling of the state’s coaches and school officials.

“I don’t think there will be shock waves sent through Cordova,” said Jason Boerger, the Wolverines’ boys’ basketball coach. “My initial reaction is that it’s a positive thing to have uniform regulations. It puts everyone on a level playing field.”

ASAA, the governing body for Alaska high school sports and activities, and its board of directors on April 28 adopted a statewide policy to combat drug, alcohol and tobacco use that includes penalties that are cumulative and grow progressively harsher with each violation.

The penalties range from a 10-day suspension from activities for a first offense to barring a student’s participation for the duration of high school under a fourth offense.
The policy goes into effect with the start of the 2008-09 academic and athletic year this fall.

“We already have this policy, it’s exactly the same,” said longtime Bethel boys’ basketball coach Norm Boerger. “It’s nice to see ASAA being a little proactive.

“I think it’s very important to have one policy (for the entire state). We have ours, but other schools sometimes may be more lenient.”

That will no longer be the case.

ASAA executive director Gary Matthews said more than 70 percent of the state’s 40,000 students in Alaska participate in some kind of extracurricular activity.

“We think (the policy) is a dramatic change because we think we can reduce teenage (drugs, alcohol and tobacco) use in Alaska, where we have the highest rate of teen drug use,” Matthews said.

A 2006 report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, based on interviews by 135,500 people, documented drug and alcohol use by teens in every state from 2002 to 2004.

Alaska topped the list with 11.8 percent of those ages 12 and older reporting they’d used an illegal drug in the past month.

New Mexico was second at 11.3 percent. The national average was 8.1 percent.
Individual schools and districts have long been responsible for policing their own activity participants. It’s generally understood that an underage student caught drinking, smoking or breaking any other established team rules will be punished.
ASAA’s policy should eliminate any gray area when it comes to determining the severity of punishment.

“It sounds like things will be more consistent now and dealt with on a higher level,” said Max Leclair, Dillingham’s assistant wrestling coach. “I’m sure some things have slid under the carpet (in some areas) before.”

Matthews said it can be hard for schools to enforce local board policy, especially if the student is a star athlete or the son or daughter of a prominent person.

“We’re hoping this will reduce some of the pressure at the local level,” Matthews said.
ASAA and school officials said announcement of the citizenship policy has been met with little fanfare inside schools because of existing rules and regulations students must adhere to when participating in activities.

Matthews said a small assortment of schools have complained about wanting to keep local control, and a perusal of online message boards from around the state showed some citizens questioning the statewide policy’s legality.

Matthews pointed out the association’s member schools are required to meet all ASAA’s eligibility requirements. The citizenship policy, which Matthews said will cost $400,000 to implement, is no different.

“We think ASAA is in a good position to do this,” he said. “We’re in regular contact with some 200 schools and 20,000 kids. No other agency is doing that.”

Under the policy, students must adhere to the drug, alcohol and tobacco ban the entire school year, even if the student’s activity is over. Students who play sports or compete in arts and debate competitions will attend orientations on the new rules. Students with infractions must participate in remedial programs.

“It’s been my experience that students will adapt to the policy given,” Norm Boerger said. “If (the student) is hit once, it really means something.”

Boerger suggests adherence to the policy rules can rate more important to students in Alaska’s rural areas.

“To put it on the simple side, (the activity) is the only thing for them to do besides ride the snowmachine or hunt,” he said. “The students can’t go to the mall or The Alaska Club. There are so many other opportunities in the urban areas.”

ASAA’s policy is a little different for first-time tobacco violations, recognizing that tobacco is pervasive in some areas. Matthews said if a student is caught using tobacco during a first-offense, 10-day suspension from activities, he or she must start the suspension over again but won’t be penalized a second offense.

The student must complete the 10 days no matter how many times the suspension is restarted.

“It became clear there is a high rate of tobacco use in some part of rural Alaska,” Matthews said. “This policy and program is not meant to keep students from participating, it’s about changing attitudes.

“There was concern that someone in rural Alaska would get one or two violations and drop out of school. We’re trying to balance out changes in behavior and people’s healthful practices.”

All citizenship violations must be reported to ASAA by the schools. Matthews said ASAA will compile reports into a database so that if a student changes schools, the information will be turned over to the administrator of the new school under strict confidentially. There, it may be shared only with the student’s coach or other activity director.

Matthews also said schools can apply to ASAA to have a student reinstated if warranted after he or she has been barred from activities for a fourth offense.

“Part of being in athletics or activities is being a good community member,” Cordova’s Jason Boerger said. “I don’t know what the negatives (to the policy) could be.
“I was talking about it with my athletic director and we discussed how it does get pretty harsh down the line. But on the other hand, how many offenses do you need?”

Matt Nevala can be reached at (907) 348-2438 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 438. The Associated Press contributed to this report.