The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA), with the support of 13 Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services Regional Networks, is placing an emphasis on student-athlete wellness through its “Life of an Athlete Program” that was started in August.

This program is based on the book by Olympic trainer and coach John Underwood with the goal of educating student-athletes about how their choices when they are off the field can affect their overall performance.

Underwood spoke to 400 individuals, including coaches, athletes, athletic directors and community members, in several clinics over the span of a week. Two of the focal points of the program are the impact that proper nutrition and sleep have on an athlete’s reaction time and how alcohol and drug use can destroy two weeks of training or increase injury risk.

According to Donna Arias, the program’s director, the response of the students was amazing. Some of the feedback from students was “I really enjoyed how they provided specific, scientific statistics. It put it into real terms and allowed people to see the real risks, benefits, burdens of each circumstance,” and “It was probably the most inspiring and breathtaking PowerPoints I’ve seen. It makes me excited to see what I can do in my own community.”

It is estimated that 70 percent of the New Hampshire youth participate in an organized sport during their middle school and high school careers.  In a survey of 215 high school athletic directors, 59 percent reported a personal encounter with an intoxicated student-athlete.

“We have 44,000 student-athletes,” Arias said. “We still have a ton of work. We are going around the state to provide follow up local trainings to expand the number of our student-athletes exposed to the program and keep the momentum moving forward.”