U.Va. To Host Highly Acclaimed Conference On Substance Abuse Prevention And Athletics

January 18, 2000 -- More than 120 student-athletes, athletic trainers, coaches and administrators representing 35 colleges and universities from all three NCAA divisions will attend the ninth Athletic Prevention Programming and Leadership Education (APPLE) conference Jan. 21-23 at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville.

The APPLE model of drug and alcohol prevention and leadership was created in 1991 by Susan Grossman, then director of U.Va.’s Institute for Substance Abuse Studies (ISAS), and Joe Gieck, director of sports medicine at the University. The model provides a way for athletic departments to assess and improve their alcohol and drug prevention programs.

At the weekend-long conference, the attendees, divided into "prevention teams," will appraise their school’s recruiting, expectations, attitudes, policies, drug testing, discipline, referral and counseling. Each school’s team will have four-to-six people, including a student-athlete.

Student-athletes participate in the APPLE model through the Student Athlete Mentor Program (SAM), a peer-based program designed to train students in substance abuse prevention and to provide teammates and peers with resources for information and services in their community.

"APPLE has been a very successful program," said Alison Houser, interim director of ISAS. "Participants leave the conference with customized action plans for their athletic departments."

Conference presenters will include U.Va. and guest faculty and coaches. Linda Hancock, assistant director at Virginia Commonwealth University's Office of Health Promotion, will present two programs, "Love N’ Liquor" and "Tylenol, Twinkies and the Beer Puzzle." Robin Sawyer, associate professor in the University of Maryland's Department of Health Education, will present, "Student-Athletes as a High-Risk Group" and "Violence, Alcohol and Athletics." Billy Mills, winner of the 10,000-meter race in the 1964 Olympics will speak on "The Pursuit of Excellence." Willie Dickey, Director of Campus Life at Keystone College, will lead a session titled "Through the Eyes of an Addict."

U.Va.'s Institute for Substance Abuse Studies has received a grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the past nine years to teach the APPLE concept as a model for prevention programs. Two annual conferences have been hosted by ISAS and the Athletics Department for the past seven years. The second APPLE conference this year will take place Feb. 11-13 at the Charlottesville Omni Hotel.

For more information, contact Alison Houser, project director, or Debra Reed, conference coordinator, at the Institute for Substance Abuse Studies, (804) 924-5276.

APPLE Conference

Jan. 21-23

Charlottesville Omni Hotel

Friday, Jan. 21

7:30-8 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
Joe Gieck
Director of Sports Medicine, U.Va.

Alison S. Houser
Interim Director, U.Va. Institute for Substance Abuse Studies

Terry Holland
Director of Athletics, U.Va.

8-8:30 p.m.
The APPLE Model — An Overview
Joe Gieck

8:30 p.m. Building a Community of Respect
Robert Covert
Associate Professor, U.Va. Curry School of Education

Hilda Ward
Health Educator, U.Va. Office of Health Promotion

Saturday, Jan. 22

8:30-9:30 a.m. The APPLE Model- Part II
Joe Gieck

Expectations for Team Meetings
Alison Houser

9-10 a.m. Team Meetings

10-10:45 a.m. Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) Overview
Phil Gates, Life Skills Coordinator, U.Va.
Emily Egge, Student-Athlete Mentor, U.Va.

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Student Track: The Power of Peer Education
(Student-athletes only)
Michelle Samuels
Assistant Dean of Students, U.Va.

11-11:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

1.Developing Policy: Lessons from an Administrator
Craig Littlepage, Associate Athletic Director, U.Va.

2.Roundtable for Returning Conference Attendees
Joe Gieck

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Panel Discussion
Previous APPLE participants share experiences

1:45-2:30 p.m. "Student Track: Love N’ Liquor"
(Student-Athletes Only)
Linda Hancock
Assistant Director, Office of Health Promotion, VCU

1:45-2:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

1. Coach / Team Relationships
   Debbie Ryan
   Head Coach, Women’s Basketball, U.Va.
2. Student-Athletes as a High Risk Group
   Robin Sawyer
   Associate Professor, Dept. of Health Education, U.Md.
3. Developing and Implementing a Drug Testing Program

Joe Gieck

3-4 p.m. "Tylenol, Twinkies and the Beer Puzzle"
Linda Hancock

4-5 p.m. Team Meetings

7-8 p.m. "The Pursuit of Excellence"
Billy Mills

Sunday, Jan. 23

9-9:45 a.m. "Through the Eyes of an Addict"
Willie Dickey
Director of Campus Life, Keystone College

9:45-10:45 a.m. "Violence, Alcohol and Athletics"
Robin Sawyer

10:45-11 a.m. Taking APPLE Back Home- Strategies for Implementation
Joe Gieck and Alison Houser

11-11:30 a.m. Wrap-up Team Meeting

Contact: Ida Lee Wootten, (804) 924-6857

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: please contact the Office of University Relations at (804) 924-7116. Television reporters should contact the TV News Office at (804) 924-7550.
SOURCE: U.Va. News Services

2000 NEWS RELEASES
1999 NEWS RELEASES

Top news site edited by Jane Ford (jford@virginia.edu); maintained by Karen Asher (kac@virginia.edu); releases posted by Suzanne Raileanu (sr3r@virginia.edu).
Last Modified: Monday, 14-Feb-2000 15:32:14 EST
© 2000 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
Topnews Information: (804) 924-4298.