The Tobacco-Free Athletes (TFA) Initiative was created to promote and support tobacco-free living for youth participating in all recreational and public school sports programs in Maine. The program leverages a coach’s influence with players to counter the messages that the tobacco industry aims at young people.

The initiative collaborates with the United Soccer Federation of Maine, the head coach at the University of Maine at Machias, the 31 Healthy Maine Partnership Community/School programs, and more recently with The Maine Center for Coaching Education at the University of Maine. The initiative is endorsed by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Wellness and the Maine Principals’ Association.

Tobacco-Free Athletes was established in response to the following facts:

• The Tobacco Industry spends $73.9 million per year in Maine marketing
  their deadly products to children.

• More than 90% of adult smokers began smoking when they were teenagers.

• One in six Maine high school students use tobacco products and 69% of middle school and 49% of high school students are committed non-smokers. They have never tried a cigarette and say they do no think they will be smoking in 5 years.

• 2,400 kids under 18 in Maine become new daily smokers each year.

• Next to a parent, a coach is one of the most influential people in a young person’s life.

The Tobacco-Free Athletes Coach’s Manual provides coaches of all youth sports with information and support for talking to their players about the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of tobacco-free living. It provides coaches with talking points when discussing the health effects of tobacco use, information about secondhand smoke and asthma, and why spit tobacco isn’t a healthly alternative to smoking. The manual also provides information and support for developing tobacco-free team policies that support the healthy lifestyles we want for all our youth.

Also included in the coach’s manual:

• Advice on policy development around tobacco use.

• Sports drills to reinforce tobacco-free messages.

• A tobacco-free pledge form for players and coaches to sign.

• A message to parents about why tobacco and sports don’t mix.

• Information about how to obtain water bottles and other giveaways for players who sign the pledge.

• Information about how to obtain tobacco-free signage to display on playing fields.

Tobacco-Free Althetes Coach's Manual:

• Introduction
• Eight Things Coaches Can Do to Keep Their Athletes Tobacco-Free
• Tobacco Use Facts and Smokeless Tobacco Information
• Secondhand Smoke, Physical Activity, and Asthma
• Warm-ups and Cooldowns
• Conditioning Drills for All Sports
• Introduction to drills
• Soccer Drills
• Basketball Drills
• Softball/Baseball Drills

Other Resources:

Maine Center for Sport and Coaching provides professional development for coaches at all levels in Maine schools and communities. It serves as a resource center for schools, communities, parents, student-athletes and others concerned with issues and trends in youth and interscholastic sport. For more information visit their web site at www.mcce.umaine.edu