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| Taylor Hennig interview John Underwood |
John Underwood visit to Syraucse by Taylor Hennig, Syracuse Journalism Student
Get to know: John Underwood
John Underwood is a former All-American, International-level distance runner, and World Masters Champion. He has coached 28 Olympians, including World and Olympic champions. He holds three International Olympic Solidarity diplomas for coaching. He is the master trainer for the New York Public High school Athletic Association Drug Prevention program, which is one of the largest mandated programs in prevention history. John was recently named as a consultant to the prestigious Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation and the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center.
Underwood came to SDA to talk to the students and staff about the dangers of drugs and alcohol on the body and mind. After the assembly I got a chance to ask him a few more questions.
Q: How long have you been speaking to the public about drugs and alcohol?
A: Since the year 2000, so 11 years. I have talked to colleges, high schools, the government, and just recently the military about how alcohol and drugs, like pot, effect the mind and physical performance.
Q: What made you decide to start speaking to athletes and coaches about this topic?
A: I can tell you the moment in time when I decided this is what I wanted to do. It was in 1997. I was asked to speak to a high school football team before State. Since I had coached more then two dozen Olympians, the coach thought I could say a few inspirational words to the team. Afterwards, I was invited to eat lunch with the team. At lunch, the boys weren't focused on the upcoming game; they could only talk about what was going on after the game. Going out. Getting drunk. Getting high. They were talking about this right in front of me, and the coach!
So I asked a boy, "Out of all the boys here, how many do you think drink or smoke pot?" He sort of gave me a weird look, then he started to laugh. He said, "Who doesn't?" So, I made a bet with the team. I used my own pocket money and said, "I want everyone here to do a max workout. Then, tonight I want you to go out and do your own thing, whether it be drinking or smoking. Tomorrow, when you come back, I'll bet your max workout is nothing compared to (the one from) before." The team lost state, and I got a little extra cash. I decided someone needs to say something and make a difference.
Q: How can you relate to the speeches you give?
A: Well, I have been involved in sports all of my life, and if I wasn't participating, I was coaching. So it's very important to me. I am part of the drug control team (A group that monitors social drug use among athletes), and have been for 25 years. I have spent 11 years studying the use of drugs and alcohol and how it affects athletic performance. I started the AAI because I actually care.
If you missed any of John's presentations, you can watch the video presentation from Burwell:
