By Carlee Lammers
Round Table editor-in-chief

On a warm July evening, what was intended to be a small group of friends “just hanging out” is turning into something very different. The night air is filling with a cacophony of voices and music as the crowd begins to swell.  An old ping-pong table becomes lost in a sea of red cups. It seems like everyone is having the time of their lives, living in the moment, not thinking about the future. Someone grabs a camera and snaps a few pictures; who wouldn’t want to remember this night? Fast forward to the start of the next school year. It’s the beginning of the fall sports season and every student-athlete who showed up in those pictures is out for 20 percent of the season.

Under the current student-athlete alcohol policy, the students would have been in violation of rules that prohibit off-campus drinking by students who play sports.  Even if that drinking occurred out of season.  Even if that drinking occurred at a private party during the summer, when school was not even in session.

However, after the Dec. 8, 2010, Board of Education meeting, Frederick County Public Schools’ student-athletes will no longer have to worry about their off-campus actions creating on-campus consequences.  The board voted to abolish the current policy, effective Feb. 28, 2011.

The December meeting marked the first gathering for the newly elected board members. The debate of the student-athlete alcohol policy, along with other highly controversial topics, was not placed on the meeting agenda prior to its start. By not publishing the items on the agenda, the board limited the amount of public response it would receive.

Newly elected BoE president Brad Young said he thought that extensive public response on these issues would be unnecessary.

“Having people talk just for the purpose of talking doesn’t do any good,” said Young.

This was not the first time the alcohol policy has been under scrutiny. Last year Young lost his job as the Walkersville High School head softball coach after a parent brought beer to a team party he held at his home. Neither Young nor the student-athletes consumed any of the alcohol.

According to a report from The Gazette, “(WHS) officials deemed it a violation of the policy because Young’s party was considered a team function and the policy mandates that coaches cannot possess or distribute alcohol while they are performing their official duties and representing the school system.”

Young was later reinstated as the head coach. However, the event sparked debate over FCPS’ alcohol policies.

While some believe that Young’s decision was heavily influenced by his experience, he said that his push to revise the student-athlete alcohol policy “had nothing to do with that situation.”

Young said he felt that the policy was being used as a “vindictive policy, used to get back at people.”

Under the policy, if a second-string soccer player wanted a chance to start for the team, all that player had to do was bring in a picture from online of the other player at a party. Once the incident had been reported, the first-string player would lose the starting job.  Likewise, players from competing teams could do the same to gain an advantage the next time the teams met.

Young also said that the policy was “not being uniformly enforced” in all schools.

“I’m not sure if (schools) are turning the eye or if there just aren’t kids reporting it,” said Young.

The revision of the student-alcohol policy has created mixed reactions from those in the Middletown High School community.

MHS boys basketball coach Tim Leber is unsure of what effect the new policy will bring.

“People, in general, need structure; they need consequences to make good choices, “said Leber. “ I wouldn’t drive 80 miles per hour because I know I’m going to get slapped with a $200 fine, but if there was no fine, maybe not.”

Others disagree and feel that the policy revision is long overdue.

“Other groups in school never got punished, so why should we?” said MHS senior football player Trevor King.

MHS student-athletes will now be faced with tough personal decisions as their actions may not bring them consequences.

“I think it puts a heck of a lot of responsibility on teenagers,” said Leber.

“I think students are not going to be as concerned about the effect (their actions) will have on the stuff they enjoy in high school,” said MHS boys swimming coach Casey Rogers.

MHS senior track and field captain Andy Drum said that it is very important to him as a student-athlete to not partake in underage drinking or illegal drug use.

“I am a captain and I am supposed to set an example for the underclassmen, so they can lead better lives athletically and academically,” said Drum.

The time between when the board voted to abolish the existing policy and when the revisions will take effect is meant to enable athletic directors and coaches to modify paperwork and train for the new policy. However, MHS might not need much time to get up to speed.

“Up until two or three weeks ago, we have not had a student-athlete get caught in any way – they have not violated the policy – in two years,” said MHS athletic director Tim Ambrose.

Ambrose said that having such a low number of reported incidents speaks volumes for the student-athletes at MHS and the community.

MHS coaches are already talking to their student-athletes about making cautious decisions when off-campus.

“I spoke to (my team) recently about getting in the car with someone who has been drinking and driving,” said Rogers.

“Whenever there was a dance or big weekend coming up, my volleyball coaches would tell us to make smart decisions and know that every action has a consequence,” said former MHS volleyball team member Jordan Sunkel.

Young also said that when it comes to students’ off campus actions, “the board can’t tell you what time to brush your teeth. It is not in our ability to tell you what to do; that is up to the parents.”

“Parents need to parent. No one said it would be easy, but that is our job and we need to step up to the plate even under the most difficult circumstances,” said MHS parent Mary Posey, who has actively followed the board’s actions since 2008.

“It’s tough growing up now,” said Ambrose. “Kids are going to make mistakes and we have to encourage them to not make the same mistakes again.”