UL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR STEPHEN BOYD RESPONDS TO COMMENTS FROM A PARENT

The following is information in response to a Mrs. Wendy Fallin's accusation that her son said that "half of the {football} team" was "high" while playing a game when he was a member of the ULHS football team. Our game day procedures for the football team are very structured, and are as follows: On Friday after school, football team members are held in the field house under the supervision of the coaching staff. They are not allowed to go home or to wander around. The staff sits with the athletes in the locker room, and then they are marched down as a team to the cafeteria (again with staff members). The team and staff eat together and march back to the weight room. They are held in the weight room for a quick talk and then loaded onto a bus, which takes them to Matthews Field or to the away-game destination. These players are well supervised at all times, and I do not see a real chance for them take drugs or anything like that. I am not able to say that this could never happen, but I am saying our staff is proactive and does everything possible to prevent drug use among athletes (and among all students, for that matter). I also want to add the following personal observation regarding our ULHS athletes: These students are members of a team, and they are comitted to the success of their team. A team relies on the strength of each and every member, and to be less than your very best self is to let your team down. I believe in the character of these young athletes, and I personally believe that these athletes would not risk "playing high" and letting their team down