MARGARET BRENNAN ’13| Staff Writer

Teen athletes are constantly striving to perform better, but all of their work could be wasted with the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, which could be toxic to their performance in the classroom and on the field.

All students who participate in a sport at South are required to sign the Athletic Code of Conduct. According to the Code of Conduct, first offense for possession and/ or use of alcoholic beverages results in immediate suspension from participation in 20% of the MHSAA allowed competitions, served consecutively for the athlete’s current or next sport. A second offense results in a 40% suspension and upon the third offense full suspension from all athletic participation for the remainder of the athlete’s high school career.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about 5,000 kids under 21 die every year as a result of underage drinking – from crashes, homicides and suicides.

“Car crashes are the leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 20,” said Health teacher and Varsity Baseball Coach Dan Griesbaum.

“I find my friends doing things they wouldn’t normally do when under the influence – that’s sometimes half the fun of it,” said Ali Crowley’ 13.  “But the other half you don’t know what they are going to do.”

Brain development is one thing that is largely affected when drinking. According to dontserveteen.gov the human brain continues to develop into a person’s early twenties and the exposure of the developing brain to alcohol may have long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities and may increase the likelihood of alcohol addiction.

“Sports have been a way for me to stay preoccupied and I am fortunate enough to be blessed with athleticism, I have been given this gift to play and I don’t see why others just throw it all away for one sip of alcohol,” said Marsh.

The drug interferes with lactic acid break down causing it to builds up in the muscles, causing sourness after a workout. However the worst side effect of all is dehydration. For every 1% of dehydration the player reduces their performance level by 10% Griesbaum said.

For teen athletes, sleep is critical for performance. Alcohol is a depressant and can cause the body to fall asleep very quickly, but the problem comes during the duration of sleep according to the University Health Center.

The sleep cycle can get skewed after consuming large amounts of alcohol. Alcohol affects the second half of the sleep cycle, where the consumer may find themselves waking up periodically during the night but then returning back to a nights rest, according to University Health Center. 

“I have a very strict sleeping schedule prior to a big tournament, I make sure that I get ample amounts of sleep; it’s really critical to my playing ability,” said Varsity Soccer Player Chelsea Marsh’13

In terms of nutrition, alcohol has seven calories per gram; while fat has nine calories per gram, alcohol stores in the body much like fat does according to Nutritionist Jane Quick. Alcohol also destroys amino acid chains and stores them as fat. 

For those students who confront a school counselor about having a drinking problem prior to getting caught are excused from the athletic suspensions however, these students require mandatory counseling, Greisbaum said.

“Sports have been a way for me to stay preoccupied and I am fortunate enough to be blessed with athleticism, I have been given this gift to play and I don’t see why others just throw it all away for one sip of alcohol,” said Marsh.

For a closer look at the dangers, warning signs and information on Alohol Abuse, click here.