Let’s keep it real, most college and many HS athletes have regular access to beer and alcohol. However, if there’s beer in the dugout there’s likely a huge issue. Weed has a stigma, but I don’t see much difference other than if you do weed, a drug test can stop your journey. Neither is great for your body, and as parents of athletes our preference would be complete abstinence – I just think that’s a head in the sand mentality.
I think most of the dads on this sight can tell a story or two about pre 21 bad choices involving alcohol or drugs. I’ve got plenty; some funny, some scary and some that could have been life altering. If that’s most of the dad’s reality, is it realistic to assume our kids don’t have similar stories? With the youngest being 27, I think I’ve heard most of them by now and thankfully way tamer than mine…
I’ve never done drugs beyond booze, but I was around them enough to have has some close to life altering experiences. It’s not always what you do, but who and what you’re around. I made sure my kids knew this early on (by sharing my mistakes – probably shouldn’t borrow a car with an 8ball of cocaine in the glovebox). By the time they’re in college, we’re going to have little impact on the choices – hopefully we’ve created a relationship where they trust enough to share what’s real…