Nearly 300 teenage student athletes gathered today at Gillette Stadium for the third annual “Stay in the Game” conference to learn about the risks of underage drinking and how they can affect positive changes among their peers and in their communities. The students were joined by members of law enforcement and other experts who spoke about the myriad aspects of underage alcohol use and leadership.
The conference was hosted by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Highway Safety Division (HSD), and funded through a federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the hospitality of the Patriots organization or Gillette Stadium. Because student athletes are in a prime position to set examples and make their positive influence known among their peers, the conference’s main objective was to support a student lifestyle free of alcohol and other drug use, even within a culture that reflects this use as the norm.
“Today’s student leaders are in a prime position to mentor and encourage classmates to make healthy choices. Conferences like ‘Stay in the Game’ help empower them to make positive changes to enhance their health and safety and we hope what they have learned today will stay with them for many years to come,” said Colonel Marian McGovern, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.
The conference focused on the consequences of underage drinking and reckless driving and on law enforcement’s efforts to curb these illegal behaviors. According to NHTSA, 24 percent of the 15-20 year old drivers involved in fatal crashes were drinking.
The students were moved by Dr. Adam Blomberg’s story. After surviving a near-fatal crash, at 18 years of age when he was not wearing a seatbelt, he was thrown out of a car and nearly died. Dr. Blomberg now speaks on social responsibility and his personal story of his struggle back to health.
Students, coaches, administrators and parents participated in workshops addressing the effects of alcohol on athletes’ behavior, the consequences of underage drinking, and the importance of safe driving habits. At the end of the conference, one student from each of the 14 high schools in attendance, participated in a round of NAPA sponsored Jeopardy. The students were asked questions on what they had learned from the workshops. Local NAPA dealership provided basketballs for the winning team.
The following students from Old Rochester Regional High were in attendance: Andrew Augustine, Meagan Bell, Hannah Bouvette, Ben Coucci, Katlyn Cummings, Dan Donohue, Alison Francis, Kirstin Fuller, Aaron Holick, Rebecca Johnson, Brenna Maloney, Christian Marchisio, Zack Mathieu, Fred Murolo, Abigail Offringa, Mike Parker, Abby Robinson and Cam Severino.
