The article goes on to say this student had become involved in an alarming phenomenon that is a growing trend among young people – “what is new – and increasingly alarming to those confronting the issue – “ the article continued, “is the rising trend of extreme underage drinking…adolescents tend to drink differently than adults. Their goal is not to sit around enjoying a glass or two of wine over the course of an evening. Rather, for many teens, the point is to get as drunk as possible, as quickly and cheaply as possible….” Here’s another quote from the article: “If you think your kids are immune, think again. According to the CDC, about 90% of all teen alcohol consumption occurs in the form of binge drinking, which experts say, peaks at age 19.” Finally, the article reports that more than 1,700 college students die each year from drinking-related causes. A captioned headline also found in the article reports that “90% of all alcohol consumed by teens is done while binge drinking.”
Here’s where a movement like Champions2Heroes comes in pretty handy. While we can’t guarantee that we can stop things like this from happening, though we wish we could, we do provide three very potent and proven ingredients that sure can help! In our Mental Training Camp we begin by helping each participant understand the importance of “Top of the Head Thinking” – actually practicing the art of “thinking BEFORE you make a potentially fatal decision.” Tied to this is our NeuroSport Myers Briggs Type Indicator Profile and an emphasis on developing a written Personal
Secondly, we match each one of our people up with a highly trained and experienced mentor for a weekly scheduled two hours of face-to-face conversation. In these weekly meetings, the mentor and mentee discuss ways to stay the course in decision-making, helps his mentee develop a deeper and keener awareness of his Personal Mission Statement or Personal Constitution, and they talk together on ways to wisely use their PMS / PC. For example, if a student writes that he wants to be a young man of integrity, they talk extensively on ways to make decisions based on that ideal.
Here is another important facet of our work in Champions2Heroes: We work directly with each of our folks to help them develop and learn to use an effective “Recovery System.” While ideals like “living a life of integrity” are to be highly prized, we know that it is just a fact of human nature to drift off course from time to time. There are literally thousands of temptations that each of us face every day of our lives that can easily distract us and cause us to potentially violate some of the most cherished values we hold! In the Parade magazine article we cited earlier, one of the things “Parents Can Do” is to “Establish a code word” before the kids go out. This is to be used in “an uncomfortable situation” in which they can “give a signal to come and get them right away, no questions asked.” Our “Recovery System” is set up so that each of the folks we work with can know their mentor is “on call,” and can help them make a potentially “better decision” by talking directly, asking “hard questions” but without any sense of judgmentalism. The article also points that “parents who combine clear expectations of accountability with support and warmth have more success” with their kids. This is exactly the attitude we expect from each of our trained mentors. They’re nearby, so they can be reached and help at any time!
