N
Story Courtesy of the Southern Conference and UNCG Sports Information
Posted by Dan Nonte, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-4314
Dr. David Wyrick is one of the developers of the myPlaybook program, which will be used throughout the SoCon in 2009-10.
Posted 7-29-09
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The NCAA's Southern Conference has announced it will participate in myPlaybook, a substance abuse prevention program developed by the UNCG spinoff company Prevention Strategies.
Dr. David Wyrick, an associate professor of public health and the president of Prevention Strategies, developed myPlaybook with Dr. Melodie Fearnow-Kenney, the company’s vice president of research and development.
It will be the first time the program is implemented throughout a Division I conference. The program is a joint venture between the Southern Conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Center for Drug Free Sport, the UNCG Department of Public Health Education and Prevention Strategies, LLC.
The program will target incoming freshmen student-athletes in the league for the fall of 2009. A web-based course, it will feature pre- and post-test surveys to measure student success, immediate student feedback and tools to track student progress.
The myPlaybook program includes interactive learning exercises and detailed information, specific to student-athletes, on the effects of alcohol and marijuana use. The program also includes education on the NCAA’s drug testing policies and information on the NCAA’s banned substances.
“I’m very pleased the Southern Conference has committed to participate in the myPlaybook pilot program,” said Wyrick. “The conference-wide approach provides us with an excellent opportunity to investigate issues critical to program effectiveness, implementation, and other influential factors such as the role of drug testing.”
Over 2,500 student-athletes from 60 Division II conferences took part in the program during the fall of 2008. After completing myPlaybook, student-athletes demonstrated immediate gains in knowledge of NCAA drug testing procedures and banned substances, negative alcohol expectancies, and negative marijuana expectancies. The prevalence and frequency of binge drinking during the previous two weeks was significantly reduced and student-athletes indicated their intentions to use harm prevention strategies related to alcohol increased significantly.
“Our membership believes in this project and committed to it on a conference-wide basis at our league meetings in May,” said Southern Conference Commissioner John Iamarino. “We are looking forward to working with Dr. Wyrick to better educate our freshmen student-athletes on the dangers and risks of alcohol and drug abuse.”
Prior to last year's pilot program run by the NCAA in Division II, Dr. Wyrick and staffers began the program as part of the UNCG student-athlete life skills/SAICA program - then known called "College Alc." Several other institutions joined in shortly thereafter including UNC Wilmington, East Carolina and UC-Davis.
Funding for the program will come from the NCAA, the National Center for Drug Free Sport and the Southern Conference.