ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Sports injuries can lead to addiction to opioids, something that Lynn Public Schools hopes to prevent by way of education.
By HAROLD RIVERA
LYNN — Lynn’s public schools are gearing up to send a message to their student athletes about opioids and pain medication. And the message is this: addiction is a real issue.
Before the school year started, the department released a newsletter about opioid misuse among student athletes called “Preventing Prescription Opioid Misuse Among Student Athletes.”
“Really, this is about creating awareness to this issue,” said Michael Geary, assistant director of health and physical education for Lynn Public Schools. “It’s a big push from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). It’s a huge push from them in creating awareness of how big of an issue this has been, based on research.”
“A lot of times, teenagers don’t realize how important addiction is.” Geary added, “Educating them is an important step.”
The Lynn Public Schools have hosted meetings with parents of student athletes to address the dangers of opioid addictions, Geary said. Each of the Lynn public schools’ high school sports teams has taken part in these meetings.
Classical High principal Gene Constantino said he hopes that student athletes will learn to make the right choices.
“I think the coaches do a good job of explaining to kids that it’s the choices they make,” Constantino said. “Peer pressure is out there every day. We don’t tolerate that, but we deal with every case.”
Athletic directors and high school coaches also meet on the subject once a month.
“We have a good collaboration,” Geary said of the three public high schools in Lynn. “We meet monthly from the district level to talk about things like this. There’s been a big push from the MIAA to get information out. In Lynn, the Central Administration Office has a good relationship with the athletic teams and the schools, so that’s a good thing.”
Coaches have also been a major part of the process, Geary said. Athletic directors are urging their coaches to send a positive message to student athletes and remain open to conversation about the opioid epidemic.
“All coaches are saying this to their teams,” Geary said. “They’re making not just players, but parents aware of it. Players, sometimes, are younger and don’t know what addiction is. Sometimes hearing it from coaches helps.”
One of the topics addressed in the newsletter was injury prevention. The hope, said Geary, is that student-athletes will seek help from knowledgeable adults to deal with injuries.
“The big thing is that you have to listen to adults,” Geary said. “We have trainers for each team. It shouldn’t be teenagers deciding what to do to take medications. They should be listening to adults in those circumstances.
“There’s pressure on athletes to get back on the field in a timely manner,” Geary said. “This is about everybody working together to try and educate student athletes.”
Lynn Tech football coach James Runner shared similar thoughts about peer pressure and involuntary use.
“Teenagers get involved and it’s often involuntarily,” Runner said. “I’ve been sort of an educator for a long time. It’s important for us to stress that stuff isn’t good for your body.”
Constantino added that the bonds formed between student athletes and their coaches always help when it comes to sending the right message. Student athletes often turn to their coaches before they seek help from others.
“The bond between a student athlete and his or her coach is so important,” said Constantino, himself a former girls basketball coach at the school. “The connection that they make is key. A student may go to a coach before they go to a teacher or a guidance counselor. That connection is imperative.”
Runner mentioned that the relationship between him and his players is something he takes into consideration when it comes to sending a positive message.
“If you deliver the message in the right manner, kids will listen to it the right way,” Runner said. “It’s big for players to have the conversation with the coach but also important for the coach to allow his players to be comfortable enough.”
Ed McNeil, who just finished his 14th season as the girls soccer coach at Lynn English, said that his close relationship with his players has helped him deliver a positive message to the team.
“I think I’ve got a closeness with my team,” McNeil said. “We discuss things that are far-reaching, beyond the soccer field. My assistant is a younger female in her 20s and sometimes the girls go to her if they aren’t comfortable with me.”
Throughout his time at the helm at English, McNeil said that he’s fortunate that none of his players have had a problem involving drug use.
“I can’t recall any one big problem,” McNeil said. “Girls might complain about playing time but drug use is a totally different thing. I think we’re very fortunate. The things we want these kids to adhere to, they do.”
As for where student athletes can go to find more information on the dangers of opioid use and proper treatment for injuries, Geary pointed to school nurses as a good resource.
“School nurses are terrific resources as far as educating students on the topic,” Geary said. “The MIAA is very knowledgable on the topic. They’ve made a big push. There are also many community groups that have helped us.”
Harold Rivera can be reached at [email protected].
