Soccer Smoking & Prevention

Athlete Recipes

Soccer Recipes

"A big part of coaching youth sports is teaching kids to be healthy. Just because a child is involved in sports, we can't take it for granted that he or she is making healthy choices off the field. As youth coaches, we're there to help our players achieve their goals, and without their health, that's impossible. When we ask them, both boys and girls tell us that when they play sports, it's important to them to have fun and improve their skills. With that in mind, it's our responsibility to help them understand that using tobacco will take the fun out of playing and keep them from becoming as good as they want to be at their sport. Down the road, an important measure of our success as youth coaches will be the number of players we've coached who never start using tobacco." -Andy Biggs Direc tor of Coaching and Player D evelopment Soccer Maine

SUCCESSFUL SPORTING EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS Here are examples of tobacco-free sports events and campaigns: Arizona Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (AZTEPP) Arizona Department of Health Services Phoenix, Arizona (602) 364-0824 Arizona kids are getting the message about tobacco through radio and TV ads, contests, campaigns, and fun activities that tie in with basketball, baseball, football, hockey, skiing, and racing events. Here are just a few of the creative ways in which the Arizona Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (AZTEPP) is reaching kids: . The Arizona Diamondbacks and AZTEPP have teamed up to sponsor a multimedia anti-tobacco campaign that includes stadium signs, radio spots, and TV commercials, in both Spanish and English. The ads are displayed on the Diamondbacks' network, and in the stadium during games. The Diamondbacks also lead a series of clinics to teach baseball coaches about the dangers of spit tobacco. . As a sponsor of the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, AZTEPP drew the attention of thousands of Arizona youth. More than 600 kids in rural areas of the state attended "Tackling Tobacco" football clinics. Throughout the 2000 Fiesta Bowl . The Phoenix Suns Benchwarmer Parade in Phoenix, which featured a Program shines a spotlight on brightly painted Hummer bearing teenagers who have been advocates the AZTEPP logo, people in the against tobacco use in their commu-crowd recognized the logo and nities. Teens and their chaperones chanted the media campaign's receive center court recognition by a "Smelly, Puking Habit" slogan. Phoenix Suns player during . For several years, the Phoenix pregame activities, and they sit Coyotes, Arizona Cancer Society, behind the players' bench through-and AZTEPP have supported the out the game. Great American Smokeout by . The annual Blow Off Tobacco bub-launching a fun promotional cam­ble gum blowing contest targets paign. The Tobacco for Tickets about 100,000 youth in the Arizona campaign encourages hockey fans Little League. This statewide contest to turn in their tobacco and pledge brings together players, coaches, to "Extinguish the Flames" in parents, and Little Leaguers to sup-exchange for tickets to a Coyotes port the message that "Smokeless hockey game. Giveaways and con-does not mean harmless." This mes-tests are held during the month of sage is being carried across the state November to increase people's by former Major Leaguer Joe awareness before and during the Garagiola, national chairman of the Coyotes' annual Smokeout game. National Spit Tobacco Education The campaign is heavily publicized Program (NSTEP). Each year, the by area radio and TV stations, Arizona Diamondbacks recognize which air clips of Coyotes fans at the grand prize winners on the field the Smokeout game shooting their during a game. cigarettes into the goal with hockey