Outline• Goals and objectives• Partners

– A multi-disciplinary approach– Partner roles and responsibilities

• The Program of Instruction– PEDs Education Continuum

• Tactical items – where do we go from here?• Summary and conclusions

Goals and Objectives• Eliminate PEDs in MLB• Implement Senator Mitchell’s

recommendations regarding player training

• Improve public perception wrt MLB and the PEDs issue

• Raise awareness of the youth PEDs problem– Kids following their role

models’ lead?

• Deliver education program to every Major and Minor League Team– Comprehensive messages

• Multi-faceted messaging• Active involvement of

management and support staff– Ongoing program – multi-year

commitment– Annual program– Measurable results

• Demonstrable knowledge improvement

• Reduction in positive drug tests

Goal: create a culture of PED-free play throughout MLB

Partners will deliver

• MLB– Visible corporate support– Require participation and support

from all MLB target groups• Top down

– Provide role models to assist with program delivery• Retired players? HOF members?

– MLB Medical Experts – Dr. Greene• PBATS

– Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers

– Joint training partner• MLBPA

– Can we invite/convince the union to be an active “partner” in this program?

– Union should actively support this effort

• Taylor Hooton Foundation– Overall program development

• Develop materials, supply trained speakers

• Use “Taylor’s Story” as the hook to gain attention

– Logistical lead• American College of Sports

Medicine (ACSM )– Provide training and CEUs for

medical staff• Team doctors , trainers, and others

– ACSM partners: WebMD, CDC, World Health Organization

• Law Enforcement– Drug Enforcement Administration

(DEA)

multi-faceted messaging

PEDs Education Continuum: 3 Phases

Educate Major League Players, Staff,

etc.

Educate Minor League

Teams, etc.Public Outreach

PEDs Education Continuum

MLB Staff

• HQ Staff• HQ Owners• Team Staff: Players and Managers, Athletic

Trainers, Strength Coaches, etc.• Ongoing: Counseling and support, continuing

education

Minor Leagues

• Same program content as Major League Program

• Program delivered during the season• AAA, AA teams for sure• Single A, independent teams??

MLB STAFFEducation, Awareness, and Involvement

Message Delivery• THF Staff

– Video– PEDs awareness and

education– Leave behind material

• Role Models (retired MLB, HOF)

• Athletic Trainers– Complimentary (supportive)

messages • MLB Staff

– Athletic Trainers– Strength Coaches– Dieticians

• ASCM– Train Athletic Trainers and

Team Physician(s)– Provide certification program

(with CEUs)• DEA

– Demonstrate the efforts that law enforcement is making to take down the bad guys

– Explain the risk a “customer” is taking when they decide to buy – make the risk “real”

Training Outline• Reasons not to do PEDs

– Physical & Psychological Dangers

– Product quality (or lack thereof)

– Moral and Ethical• Cheating, Players’

responsibility as Role Models

– Illegal– MLB Regulations

• Penalties

• Why do users choose to use?– Societal “acceptance”

• Body image changes• Role Models• Increasing usage rates - peer pressure

• Achieving goals the right way (ongoing training)– Exercise

• Athletic Trainers and Strength Coaches

– Diet• Dietician

Timeline• Time is of the essence: THF is ready to move quickly!• Owners’ Meeting

– Owner’s and MLB Senior Managers / Executives• Spring Training

– Players, managers, athletic trainers, strength coaches• Team support staff• Annual program

– Repeat training at each season’s Spring Training

Target Audiences• EVERYONE in the greater

MLB program needs to participate in this program

• HQ Staff• Owners• Team staff:

– Players– Managers– Athletic Trainers– Strength Coaches– Team Doctors– Front office

Continuing Education• Testing to demonstrate comprehension• Create a program that can be “left behind”

– Multi-day (multi-week?) curriculum that will expand on / drill down into the issues covered in the initial presentations• Taught by trainers, strength coaches, etc.• Test to demonstrate improvement

– Web-based . . . • Objective:

– Reinforce messages delivered during initial presentations– Provide an affirmative report to the public that N% of MLB players

and staff have passed a “test”• Could achieve this milestone by Opening Day

COMMUNITY OUTREACHDemonstrating leadership in ethics and fair play

Objective • Visibly display MLB’s commitment to eliminating

PEDs from sport• Help change the culture of sport by education of High

School athletes– Utilize team role models to help deliver

messages

Community-Wide Event• MLB-sponsored “PEDs Awareness Week” in team communities

– High-visibility – Kick Off Event– High School Assemblies– Civic Club Meetings, School Board Meeting, Teachers’/Coaches’

Assembly, etc.• Engage Local Media

– Information Blitz– Newspaper– TV

• Local Team Community Relations organization leads

During Awareness Week• Deliver 1-2 hour program in all local high schools• Presenters

– Blend professional presenters with athlete role models• Taylor Hooton Foundation• MLB Player(s) – local role models

– Schedules may dictate that we use retired players• Law Enforcement, e.g. DEA and/or local law enforcement

• Provide appropriate giveaways, e.g., shirts with program logo and slogan, etc.

• Action: all kids asked to sign “MLB pledge” not to use Performance Enhancing Drugs

End of week event• At MLB ballpark – game night• “PEDs Awareness Night”

– Posters– Handouts for fans– PSAs running on Jumbotron

• Kids get invited to attend the game– Attendees are recognized during 7th inning stretch– Kids recite MLB PEDs-free “pledge”

• Ideally, pledge will be led by player(s)

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Summary and Conclusions• This represents a viable approach to

comprehensive player education• Visible MLB-led national anti-PEDs program

for high school kids• We have identified a group of interested

partners who have the desire to make this happen

Tactical Next Steps

• MLB and THF to meet to agree a plan– Define organization structure/approach

• Face to face meeting– Agree a program name / slogan– Contractual agreement– When? Before Owners’ Meeting

• Invite MLBPA to join our team• Approve budget and timeline

– Multi-year program (5 years)• Present program at next Owners’ Meeting