Soccer Smoking & Prevention

Athlete Recipes

Soccer Recipes

Push Tobacco-Free Policies Tobacco-free policies will send a loud and clear message that tobacco use is not the norm in your community and will provide kids with a healthy, smoke-free environment in which to play. These policies also educate coaches, referees, and parents about the importance of being tobacco-free role models for kids. When such poli­cies are passed, they often get good media coverage, which gives you the opportunity to reach a broader audi­ence with your tobacco-free messages. Here are some questions to consider: . Will all forms of tobacco use be banned or just smoking? . Which playing fields and parks will be affected by the policy? . Will tobacco use be banned only during sporting events or all of the time? . Will the ban be just for the playing area, or will it cover the entire park and parking lot? . Will you prohibit tobacco advertis­ing, including any ads displayed on T-shirts, caps, signs, or through sponsorship of the event? . What will the penalty be for kids and adults who violate the policy? . How can you prepare for the media's questions about the new policy?

Jason Sehorn, star cornerback for the New York Giants, spoke out against tobacco and signed autographs for young fans at the 2000 NFL Experience in Atlanta. Photo by Jerry Pinkus.

Find Athletes Who'll Be Winning Role Models Teaming up with sports heroes is one of the smartest, most cost-effective ways to convey healthy messages to preteens and adolescents. The first step is to identify high-profile, tobacco-free athletes who will be good role models for youth and can help to ensure that your tobacco-free message will resonate throughout the community and state. Whether you are recruiting a world-class professional or a locally famous high school or college athlete, here are some steps you should take to ensure that your player is indeed a good role model for youth: . Make sure the athletes do not use any tobacco products and are not involved in other unhealthy lifestyle practices, such as the use of steroids or other body build­ing supplements, which could hurt their credibility and your campaign. . Make sure the athletes are not associated with any businesses that are affiliated with a tobacco company (for example, Kraft and Nabisco are owned by Philip Morris, Inc.)

The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook xix . Keep up with current sports news and the reputations of athletes you would like to use as spokespersons for your awareness campaign or event. Watch ESPN, and look at vari­ous sports sites on the Internet. . Before approaching a professional athlete or sports organization with ideas or a proposal for a campaign, ask if anyone in your state health department, organization, or school has ever worked with the athlete or team in the past. Find out what their experiences were with the athlete. Positive? Negative? Get the details.

Make Your Pitch to Athletes and Their Reps . Contact the athletes' agents or their team's public/community relations department to set up a meeting to talk about ways that you can work together. If you have an event in the works, let the agents know as soon as possible so they have plenty of lead time to consider your request. Don't give them a chance to say that their schedule is already booked. . When you meet with the athlete or agent, provide background about your state health department, organ­ization, or school and your tobacco-control efforts. Bring samples of newsletters, news clips, photo albums of previous high-profile com­munity events. Discuss in detail what you expect from the relationship. . Find out whether the athletes truly believe in the message and are not