A COMMITTEE THAT IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

For the past few years, Cavin Mohrhardt, Spring Lake High School
athletic director, has randomly selected a group of student-athletes
to talk about ways to prevent alcohol and drug use among students.

And invariably each year, the students tell him the same thing -- the
No. 1 way to help student-athletes curb bad habits is to have parents
talk to them.

So this year, Mohrhardt and a group of parents are heeding the
students' advice.

A new organization called Laker Parents Creating Awareness (LPCA) was
formed in August in an attempt to make parents more aware of alcohol
and drug abuse among student-athletes, and to develop a strategy for
dealing with the problem.

Mohrhardt believes the committee is on the right track in getting the
message out to parents.

Spring Lake athletic officials have been concerned about alcohol and
drug use for years, but this is the first time an organized effort
has been launched to get the parents involved. The parents have been
the missing link," Mohrhardt said. "I look at this committee as the
completion of a triad -- schools, kids and parents."

The parents' group, which is informally headed by Spring Lake
Township resident Rob Pennell, has been meeting on a weekly basis
since August. Pennell and several other group members made their
first informal presentation of the group's task at a meeting of
parents of athletes in late August.

Pennell, who coaches soccer and has children in the Spring Lake
school system, is enthusiastic with the group's charge of getting
parents more involved with their children.

"There is a lot of passion and commitment on this committee," said
Pennell of the parents who have volunteered to serve.

"There is a lot of excitement, focus and willingness to make a difference."

Pennell said from talking to students and parents he knows that
alcohol and drug abuse is a problem, one that isn't confined to the
Spring Lake area.

Nationwide, school districts are struggling with the alcohol/drug issue.

The Spring Lake parents' group is hoping to make a difference locally.

They know that it won't be a short-term solution. "We understand that
it is a long-term effort," Pennell said.

One of the first steps the committee hopes to initiate is a survey of
student-athletes about how they view the extent of the problem.

"We need to quantify the problem, and take steps to solve the
problem," Pennell said.

The group has been encouraged with parents' interest in the
organization. "A lot of people are asking how they can help. There is
concern out there," Pennell said.

Pennell said the committee is eager to hear opinions from more Spring
Lake parents. The group has set up an "open mike" night on Wednesday,
Oct. 18 from 7-9 p.m. in the high school choir lecture room.

At that meeting, parents of athletes will be invited to speak on
issues surrounding alcohol and drug use among student athletes.

The group also has set up a Web site so that parents can offer
suggestions or visit links to sites about alcohol and drug use.

"We're trying to get as much information in the hands of parents as
we can," Pennell said. "We want to keep our kids safe."

In addition to to Pennell, other members of the committee are his
wife, Sharon, Mojrjatd and his wife, Pam; Steve and Barb Skendrovic;
Angie Pellegrom, Cindy Holmes, Mark and Lynn Setterbo.

The group's Web site can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lakerparents.