Drugs Usage in Sports

Drugs Usage in Sports Introduction During a 30- minute interview, I sat down with a former coach of mine and discussed drug usage among high school athletes. The coach touched upon a few issues concerning drug testing policies, drug education and awareness programs for coaches and athletes used at high schools in Mississippi.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drugs Usage in Sports specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More INTERVIEWER: Are the incidents of drug abuse frequent among athletes and what measures are taken for improving the existing situation? COACH: The problems of drug use are a common scenario among young athletes that does not receive the proper attention. The main causes making athletes to look for performance-enhancing substances include their low self-esteem and willingness to enhance their chances for making outstanding achievements (Coakley, 2008). International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Collegiate Athletic Association (N CAA), and Professional Sports League united their efforts for developing drug testing policies as well as education and awareness programs for the purpose of ensuring drug-free environment for athletes and strengthening sport ethics. INTERVIEWER: Why do you think these measures can be ineffective? COACH: The main difficulties in implementing the drug testing and controlling policies are preconditioned with the main controversies of applying them in practice. On the one hand, drug-free environment is important for the health of athletes and integrity of sports. On the other hand, drug testing procedures frequently turn out to be ineffective. Partially violating the rights of athletes for privacy, these policies can result in the protests of athletes (Coakley, 2008). Additionally, athletes can use legal substances (aspirin) which can still be regarded as performance-enhancing, complicating the task of coaches suspecting them of drug use. INTERVIWER: As a high school coach, have you ev er faced the problem of drug use in your professional practice? COACH: Yes, I have faced this issue in my practice. Some athletes were certain that by using performance-enhancing drugs, they could improve their achievements.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More INTERVIEWER: What can make you suspect an athlete of drug abuse? COACH: It can be seen from sportsmen’s behaviour and their performance. For instance, a player may start to lose concentration, not attend sessions or unexpectedly improve performance. For this reason, a coach has to take into account the previous observations of athletes’ performance and behavioural characteristics. INTERVIEWER: Can certain tests be used for defining the instances of drug abuse and in which cases these tests can be taken? COACH: Yes, drug screening tests can be used in case of reasonable doubt of a coach, tutor or p arent. Reasonable suspicion can be defined as the quantity of proof which is beyond mere intuition, but still lacks argumentation. As to an incident, it can be defined as a positive screening test or a situation in which an athlete was found in using or possessing certain banned substances. INTERVIEWER: Is there any possibility of getting false results of a drug screening test? COACH: If the first drug screening test is positive, athletes have to take a second one. Additionally, according to the drug testing policies of the state of Mississippi, if certain outside substances are found in the athlete’s urine, it is regarded as an attempt to disguise the results, and the test is automatically regarded as positive (Coakley, 2008). INTREVIEWER: Can you give examples of the most famous cases of drug abuse which can be used in education program for athletes for enhancing their awareness of possible physiological and psychological changes which can be caused by drug use?Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drugs Usage in Sports specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More COACH: Snoop Dogg is a rapper who was arrested because of an incident of drug possession. Alanis Morissette is a singer who had undergone bulimia and anorexia drug addictions before she attained 18years. Cathy Rigby is a gymnast who suffered from an eating disorder. Christy Henrich is a gymnast who died because of anorexia complications. These famous people suffered or died because of drug abuse. INTERVIEWER: What awareness programs have been implemented for ensuring drug-free environment for students? COACH: Awareness programs for coaches and athletes have been established to educate and counsel young people on the effects of drugs. Additionally, participating in these programs, coaches can receive valuable information concerning the drug controlling and testing policies and act in accordance with the legislation norms of the state of Missi ssippi. Most high schools and youth leagues participate in these programs. Complying with NCAA regulations, Mississippi high schools pay attention to the three main elements of drug-related programs, including those of education, prevention and rehabilitation (University Microfilms International, 2005) INTERVIEWER: Are there campaign awareness programs for players only? COACH: Yes, they exist. These awareness programs are meant to create awareness about the effects of drugs on their health. The players are also encouraged to pass on the message to other upcoming players (University Microfilms International, 2005). INTERVIEWER: What measures need to be taken for enhancing the effectiveness of the existing programs and improving the results? COACH: I would recommend devoting more time to educational programs and enacting a procedure of random testing for all athletes which is currently prohibited by NCAA, but is still used in other states. Taking into account the incidence of drug abu se and possible consequences for the athletes’ health and sport ethics, I insist on taking critical measures.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reference List Coakley, J. (2008). Sports in society: Issues and controversies. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University Microfilms International (2005). Dissertation abstracts international. Berkeley, CA: University Microfilms

When College isn’t for Everyone †Smart Options for Smart Kids. EssaySupply.com

When College isn’t for Everyone – Smart Options for Smart Kids Choosing your route We are right to question the value of a college education. Certainly, it is the correct route for a large chunk of students; certainly, it is not the correct route for another large chunk of students. Here’s why: College costs have now reached the point of being absurd. When family resources cannot pay the price, students graduate with debt that will stay with them for almost their entire career lifetimes. The traditional 4-year degree has almost become meaningless in many fields. Student spend their first two years completing general education requirements so as to be more well-rounded, and really only get into their major fields of study their final two years. Two years in many fields today is inadequate, and students must then incur more debt for graduate school. What are the Alternatives? Forecasters are currently predicting those career fields in which there will be large opportunity in the future. Obvious, technology is huge, but so is health care, hotel and restaurant management, e-commerce, construction, green energy, and a host of other service industries, like college essay writing service. These career fields will by no means require a knowledge of Shakespeare, the ability to write a comparison/contrast essay, or an understanding of benzene rings. What’s more, we no longer have the luxury of providing expensive liberal arts backgrounds, so that students may be â€Å"well-rounded† – other countries are leaving us in the dust. So, what choices do students have if traditional college is not for them? Community College-Industry Collaborative Programs Many jobs go unfulfilled because certain industries cannot find qualified candidates. This has led to community college-industry partnerships that specifically train students for careers that are in high demand and for which there is not a sufficient labor supply. Students should check these out – two year of training and into a career – boom! Vocational-Technical Schools There are â€Å"good guys† and â€Å"bad guys† in this business. But state departments of education publish those schools that are reputable and that prepare students well of current and future careers. Highly technical training, such as water treatment, digital design, and medical technology will serve any graduate of these programs quite well. Online Educational Programs There are huge opportunities, including free college coursework, for students who are highly motivated and self-disciplined. Students may not get formal college credit but they do get certificates of course completion with a grade. Many employers re considering these MOOC’s to be every bit as valuable as the credit-bearing courses, especially when they come from institutions such as Purdue, Princeton, and Stanford. If you are the one who says "I  hate writing essays" there is also a great option of help with writing papers being available online. A High School Diploma Won’t â€Å"Cut it† There are no career jobs available for high school graduates today. Part of the reason is that high schools are also steeped in the traditional, general education curricular requirements, and do not offer programs that allow immediate employment in fields with career potential.   The Takeaway Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg decided that a college education was not for them. They have not done too badly. There are many other options for careers, and the required training is far less expensive and far more focused than in a 4-year college. If you think college is not for you, you have good company and lots of options.

Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Health policy - Essay Example As the Department Manager of Human Resource, I have noticed that there are various challenges that affect the hospital which need to be relayed to the administration. One such problem is shortage of nurses. Most nations across the globe face shortages of nursing professionals, including registered nurses, since their demand exceeds supply either locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. The World Health Organization approximates that there is a shortage of 3.2 million nurses on a global scale. According to the American National Council of State Board of Nursing, the annual nursing demand growth rate is 7.7% while the growth rate of registered nurses is 2.12% every year. This is a clear indication of nursing shortage. At the William Wishard Memorial Hospital there are only 312 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides. This is an insufficient workforce as compared to the population of Indianapolis estimated at 852,866 in 2013. The population also continues to grow. At the William N. Wishard Memorial Hospital the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:5. This is below the recommended ration of 1:3 by the World Health Organization. The ratio is unsafe and puts the patients at risk. The shortage of nursing practitioners may be as a result of years of underinvestment in health worker education, poor working environment, lack of training and career development, low wages, and ineffective management (Forsyth & McKenzie, 2006). In the hospital, the shortage of nursing personnel may be attributed to changing career options. Most of the women who were born in the 1950s and 60s were more likely to become nurses as compared to those born 70s and 80s. The other causes include underinvestment in nursing education and training, low wages, lack of career development, and lack of motivation. Additionally, there are also no placement programs for the newly trained nurses. The other cause of nursing shortage in William Wishard Memorial Hospital is