National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- Sports Sciences Newsletter -- October 26, 1998

NCAA drug-testing crew chiefs speak!

For years, NCAA Sports Sciences has offered grants to assist member institutions with funding to bring wellness and drug-education speakers to campus. The NCAA does not recommend or endorse speakers, but simply provides a list of lecturers whom member institutions have previously scheduled.

Beginning this year, the NCAA also will provide honorariums for crew chiefs from the NCAA Drug-Testing Program to speak on campuses. Selected crew chiefs have been trained to address issues surrounding the drug-testing program and other drug education matters. The one-hour presentations will cover:

  • Information related to the history and background of drug use in athletics.

  • Effects of drug abuse on sports performance.

  • Short- and long-term effects of drug abuse.

  • NCAA banned-drug list.

  • Nutritional supplementation and healthy

    alternatives to drug use.

    As with the original speakers grant program, the following eligibility criteria must be met:

    1. Funding is available only to active NCAA member institutions or conferences.

    2. Grant funds are to be used for honorariums of $250 per academic year (September 1 through August 31) per institution or conference-adminis- tered program. The grant requester will pay all other crew-chief expenses (e.g., mileage, hotel and meals).

    3. The event for which funding is requested must be a part of a drug-education program for student-

    athletes and/or athletics department personnel.

    4. Application forms should be sent at least 15 days prior to the event.

    5. For the release of grant funds, the grant requester must complete and submit an evaluation form to NCAA Sports Sciences.

    6. Upon receipt of the evaluation form, the NCAA will mail the honorarium directly to the crew chief.

    The traditional speakers grant program is still available under existing guidelines. To request an NCAA drug-testing crew chief speakers grant application and speaker listing, please contact Beth Binkley, NCAA Sports Sciences program coordinator, at 913/339-1906 or locate information on the NCAA Web site at www.ncaa.org/sports_sciences/.