New resource equips coaches with practical tools to promote healthy choices, mental wellness, and stronger team cultures
On National Coaches Day, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) proudly announces the launch of its new Coaches’ Guide, a practical resource designed to help coaches prevent underage drinking and substance use while promoting mental wellness among student-athletes.
Sponsored by the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA), the guide recognizes the powerful role coaches play as trusted mentors, role models, and influential adults in the lives of young people. The resource offers evidence-informed strategies coaches can use to build positive team cultures, strengthen communication, recognize warning signs, support mental wellness, and encourage healthy, substance-free lifestyles for their student athletes.
Approximately 60% of high school students participate in sports, making coaches one of the most influential adults in many young people’s lives. Yet research shows that while sports participation can be a protective factor in early adolescence, risk factors for alcohol and other substance use can increase during the high school years if positive team cultures and healthy norms are not intentionally reinforced.
“Coaches have an extraordinary opportunity to shape not only athletic performance, but the character, confidence, and choices of the young people they lead,” said Stacey D. Stewart, CEO of MADD. “This new guide gives coaches practical tools to foster team cultures that prioritize safety, wellness, accountability, and substance-free living.”
The guide was informed by feedback from real high school coaches through focus groups conducted in partnership with Coach Across America, ensuring the resource addresses real-world challenges coaches face and provides solutions they can easily integrate into their programs.
“Coaches do so much more than teach skills and strategy. They help shape character, confidence, and decision-making,” said Kimberly Crawford, Sr National Director, Government Programs at Coach Across America. “The coaches who participated in our focus groups wanted resources that were practical, relatable, and easy to implement. MADD listened, and the result is a guide that gives coaches actionable ways to support student-athletes now.”
Built around real-world coaching experiences and prevention best practices, the resource helps coaches support student-athletes both on and off the field.
“Coaches are among the most trusted and influential adults in a young person’s life. Their positive impact on our youth continues long after the season ends and transcends into those important life lessons needed for a healthy and successful future,” J. Neal Insley, NABCA President and CEO, said. “That’s why NABCA is proud to support resources like this that help address underage drinking and substance use prevention.”
The guide also encourages coaches to partner with parents, recognizing that teens whose parents have ongoing conversations about alcohol and other drugs are up to 80% less likely to drink before age 21.
This complements MADD’s longstanding prevention initiatives, including the nationally recognized Power of Parents® program, which empowers parents and caregivers to have ongoing conversations with teens about alcohol and other drugs. Together, parents and coaches can create a powerful network of support that helps young people navigate social pressures, make safer choices, and reach their full potential.
“As we celebrate National Coaches Day, we want to thank the millions of coaches who invest their time, energy, and hearts into developing young people,” Stewart added. “Their leadership extends far beyond the scoreboard, and we’re honored to provide resources that support their important work.”
The Coaches’ Guide is available for free download here.
