??BAY VIEW ACADEMY BENEFITS FROM ???HOOT???S CHALK TALK???
Submitted by Isabelle Stevens, a junior from Coventry, and Kailey Williams, a junior from East Providence.
??Helen Malone (Attleboro), Donald Hooton Jr and Karin Duprey (Cranston):
East Providence, RI ??? The Bay View community recently had the privilege to meet with and learn from Donald Hooton Jr., the VP of Education at the Taylor Hooton Foundation. This January, students and parents alike were invited to ???Hoot???s Chalk Talk,??? a presentation on the dangers of Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs (APEDs).
The Taylor Hooton Foundation was formed in memory of Taylor Hooton, a promising high-school athlete who, after struggling with anabolic steroid use, took his own life in 2003. Taylor???s family wanted to spread awareness of this growing epidemic of teen and pre-teen use of APEDs, and the Foundation was born. Don Hooton Jr., Taylor???s brother, travels all over the U.S. to speak with kids and parents about the dangers of APEDs.
Hooton???s presentation was twofold. First, he busted stereotypes of who uses steroids, driving home that it???s not just ???jocks.??? Over 62% of APED users say they do it to improve their looks taylorhooton.org. APEDs are a growing problem in today???s society with 1 in 16 teens using anabolic steroids, despite mounting scientific research proving their negative side effects. Don attributes this to a lack of education, and the pervasive idea that steroids are the only option as users ???are driven by what they need to do to get to the next level.??? He pointed out that this seems to apply whether it???s in playing a competitive sport or looking more like the models and celebrities seen in the media.
The second part of Hooton???s presentation was about the effects of mainstream energy drinks and dietary supplements. According to taylorhooton.org, ???Nutritional supplements toe the line between food and drug, and therefore are not regulated by the FDA. There is absolutely nothing guaranteeing the purity of bodybuilding supplements, or the safety of using them. In addition, the manufacturer can claim benefits of the product that have not been tested or proven. Some supplements may contain unhealthy ingredients or banned substances that can potentially disqualify students from competitions.???
This struck home with Emilia Marino (Bristol), Class of 2018. ???Many of these supplements were items that I, and my peers, might not have thought twice about previously because they are sold in stores nationwide, some even with celebrity endorsement,??? she said. ???But now that I have heard his speech, I will feel more inclined to check the ingredients to find out what really goes into these products, and encourage my friends to do the same.???
Natalie Noland (East Greenwich), Class of 2018, felt the same way: ???I didn’t know that protein powder wasn’t regulated according to other food standards, and as someone who usually drinks protein shakes for breakfast, I find this extremely alarming.???
Presenting to an all-girls school, Don combated the assumption that only males in sports should be educated about APEDs. Natalie was surprised. ???I originally thought that this was an advisory targeted at the more stereotypically athletic people…but upon attending his presentation, I found that not only does the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs threaten the lives of the most talented athletes but also those one might not expect, such as people using vitamin supplements and muscle building enhancers. I think that every school should have the opportunity to learn about this and be educated by such a great organization.???
Don presented three times at Bay View between January 11-12. One presentation was to Middle and Upper School students, one geared to a younger audience, and one geared to parents and coaches. His presentations were sponsored by the Bengal Backers, a Bay View Parents Guild group that fundraises to support athletics, and by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League with a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation.
The Taylor Hooton presentations are just the first in a Wellness Series to be presented at Bay View. Helen Malone (Attleboro), Assistant Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer, says the advisories will deal with health issues that there may not be time enough to discuss in health or science classes. ???I really want you all to be the best you???s you can be,??? she told the students at the start of the Hooton presentation.
Coming up next is a screening of the documentary ???Screenagers,??? about the dangers of too much ???screen time??? and its impact on families. The filmmaker and physician, Dr. Delaney Ruston, will be present at Bay View on March 30th. Ruston and a panel of local experts will address community questions regarding screen time and their families. This event is free and open to the public. Online registration is now open at bit.ly/ScreenagersatBayView
*Karin Duprey is a Bay View parent and member of the Bay View Bengal Backers, a Parents Guild group that fundraises in support of Bay View Athletics. She and Bengal Backers President, Steve Cross, were instrumental in organizing the Hooton Foundation???s speaking engagements at Bay View and she introduced Don to the crowd of Upper and Middle School students on January 12th. Helen Malone is Bay View’s Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director.