When Ross Williams took the position of athletic director and assistant principal at Albert Lea High School, he had some concerns regarding the chemical violations policy.

Tuesday, December 11, 2001

When Ross Williams took the position of athletic director and assistant principal at Albert Lea High School, he had some concerns regarding the chemical violations policy.

&uot;I believe it’s that involvement (in sports and arts) that keeps students headed in the right direction,&uot; Williams told guests at the 30th annual meeting of the Freeborn County Chemical Dependency Center Monday at the Guesthouse Inn.

Williams traced the process of change in the district’s policy. He had a volunteer group of coaches – who became known as the Athletic Advisory Committee -&160;who started with a survey and conversations with students and parents about chemical use and abuse.

It was the policy Rochester schools had implemented which intrigued the group the most, Williams said. &uot;It was tougher than the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) policy, but it contained an educational component.&uot;

The MSHSL is the governing body for high school sports teams in the state. It has minimum penalties for athletes who use drugs or alcohol, but does not stop school districts that wish to set tougher standards. The MSHSL requires that for a first-time violation, a student be kept out for two weeks. The second violation calls for three weeks out of the sport, and the third violation, four weeks.

For a first violation, Rochester’s policy calls for eligibility to play to be lost for 50 percent of scheduled games. The second violation calls for no play for one calendar year or a choice of loss of play in 50 percent of scheduled contests, plus community service or a drug education program or counseling. The third violation calls for complete loss of eligibility. Albert Lea modeled its new drug policy after Rochester.

Williams said since implementing the new policy, Rochester Mayo has seen a 62 percent decline in violations among athletes, and at Rochester Century, a 72-percent decline in violations has been reported.

He said Albert Lea has averaged 16 violations per year among athletes. &uot;We wanted to see that drop to five,&uot; he said. &uot;So far we’ve had three.&uot;

Williams said so far no one has reached a second violation, but the CDC is willing to help with the counseling portion and the school with community service opportunities if it does come to that.

&uot;I’m happy that we’re moving in the right direction,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s not a death sentence.&uot;

But he is concerned about the number of non-athletes in grades seven through 12 who are using drugs and alcohol.

That’s why extracurricular activities, like arts and sports, are so vital, he said. Those involved learn good citizenship, earn higher grades, are much less likely to drop out of school, and report lower rates of absenteeism.

&uot;Extracurricular activities help make students valuable members of society,&uot; Williams said.

The assistant principal said he enjoys helping students make good choices and getting them on the right track. &uot;That’s the most rewarding part of the job,&uot; he said.

John and K Adamec, who direct the CDC, said they’ve seen 10,000 people through their program in the last 30 years.